Jason Varitek Named Red Sox Special Assistant to General Manager

by Benjamin Klein on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 7:34PM

Jason Varitek is back with the Red Sox — only not to play.

The Red Sox announced Thursday that Varitek was named a special assistant to general manager Ben Cherington.

“Jason was one of the most respected players of his era and will be a key voice as we moved forward,” said Cherington. “He will be involved in a number of areas including major league personnel decisions, evaluations, and mentorship and instruction of young players. We are fortunate to have him in this role.”

Varitek retired from the Red Sox and Major League Baseball after the 2011 season, playing each of his 15 major league seasons in Boston. The former captain hit .256 with 193 home runs and 757 RBIs in 1,546 games over the course of his career.

It may be too early to speculate his future role with the team — whether he pursues coaching or not — but for now, the Red Sox position a longtime face of the franchise to play a key roll in its future.