He'll be receptive to offers

Varitek, 36, hit only .220 in 2008 as his offensive numbers continue to slide. The Red Sox would like to have Varitek back on a short-term deal of no more than two years at close to the $10 million-per-year contract he's just coming off. While Boras believes there will be a market for Varitek, it hasn't become obvious yet.

A few baseball people who began to trickle into the Bellagio Hotel and Casi no last night for the winter meetings seemed skeptical any team would commit to Varitek for more than two years. But again, it's early in the process and Varitek still has the reputation of being a solid catcher who can improve a young pitching staff. That's why the Dodgers have considered a move for Varitek to help out Russell Martin.

The Sox have been pursuing catching help this offseason, with the hope of finding a young player who eventually could be groomed as the starter. If Varitek is around to work with that young catcher, all the better. The Rangers have four catchers and likely will trade two of them, with the Sox having interest in Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Alternatives include the Angels' Jeff Mathis, who has lost playing time to Mike Napoli, or a veteran such as the Giants' Bengie Molina or the Orioles' Ramon Hernandez.

The Sox also offered arbitration to righthander Paul Byrd, but he declined as well. Boston being stocked with starting pitchers was thought to factor into Byrd's thought process.