Well, that was difficult. After weeks of hoopla, posturing and under-the-table mud-slinging, the Captain is back as Jason Varitek has agreed to a 1-year, $5 million deal. The deal carries with it a club option for the 2010 season at $5 mil., and if the Sox decline that, Tek can choose to return to the team for a $3 mil. base with $2 mil. in incentives.

All I really have to say about this is it's about time. There really was no other outcome to this than Tek coming back for one or two years as the Sox have no other option at this point and no other team would have been willing to give him more than $5 mil. Tek and Boras look a little stupid for not accepting arbitration (believed to be in the neighborhood of $10 million for the 2009 season), but apparently Tek's main gripe with accepting arb. was that the salary and his playing time would have been non-guaranteed. I still want to see the Sox pursue their "catcher of the future" during the season or immediately following it, and as I'm sure they're aware, this is no long-term solution at the position. Either way, this is a win-win for the Sox; Boras, not so much.