While the Boston Red Sox opted to keep most of their coaching staff intact last week, the future of one notable figure remained uncertain.
Former Red Sox catcher and two-time World Series champion Jason Varitek has spent the past five years as part of Boston’s coaching team. This season, his official title was “game planning and run prevention coach.”
A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove-winning catcher, Jason Varitek brings a wealth of experience to the table, and players consistently praise his guidance and mentorship. However, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, his return to Boston was not a certainty.
Varitek expected to return to Red Sox in ’26
According to Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Jason Varitek is expected to return to the Boston coaching staff in the same role next season. However, as of the report on Thursday, a new contract had not yet been finalized.
“Red Sox and Jason Varitek are working out terms but the expectation remains he returns in the same role, sources say,” Cotillo tweeted.
Before Cotillo’s report surfaced, Varitek’s wife, Catherine—an active presence on social media—posted a tweet that strongly hinted at an announcement regarding his return to the coaching staff. While the message could have referred to something else, it seemed to signal that news was on the way.
“Happy wife, happy life,” Varitek wrote, with a heart-faced emoji.
The one factor that could have shifted the situation was if other teams had sought to interview Varitek for open managerial positions. While that possibility hasn’t been entirely ruled out, there have been no reports of such interest so far. Meanwhile, Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez has been confirmed as a candidate for the Minnesota Twins’ managerial opening.
Still, all signs point to Varitek remaining with the Red Sox next season—continuing a relationship that began 29 years ago, when Boston first acquired him as a minor leaguer in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.
“Have I dumped everything I’ve had to make this organization better, and the people that you mentor, coach and be a part of? Yes,” Varitek said earlier this week on WEEI. “Do I want to continue to do that? Yes. But we’ll have to see where it all lies.”
It appears it all lies in Boston, where it’s been for as long as most of us can recall.
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