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Dec 1, 2008 10:27 pm US/Eastern
Red Sox Offer Varitek, Byrd Salary Arbitration
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Jason Varitek. (file image)
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The Boston Red Sox have offered salary arbitration to free agent catcher Jason Varitek and righthanded pitcher Paul Byrd.
General Manager Theo Epstein also announced Monday that the Red Sox declined arbitration with its seven other free agents: pitchers Bartolo Colon, Curt Schilling and Mike Timlin, catcher David Ross, infielders Sean Casey and Alex Cora, and outfielder Mark Kotsay.
Free agents have until Sunday to accept arbitration offers.
If Type A free agent Varitek does not accept arbitration and signs with other team, the Red Sox will receive two compensatory picks in the 2009 amateur draft. Byrd, a Type B free agent, would net Boston one compensatory pick.
Byrd combined for an 11-12 record and a 4.60 ERA in 30 starts with Cleveland and Boston this season. Varitek posted a .220 batting average with 13 home runs and 43 RBI over 131 games in 2008, his 12th major league campaign with the Red Sox.
Casey hit .322 with 17 RBI in 69 games this season. Colon was 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts for the Red Sox.
Cora had a .270 average with nine RBI over 75 games.
Kotsay combined to bat .276 with six home runs and 49 RBI over 110 games with Atlanta and Boston.
Ross split 2008 between Cincinnati and Boston, hitting .225 with three homers and 13 RBI in 60 games.
Schilling missed the entire 2008 season with right shoulder weakness.
Timlin went 4-4 with one save and a 5.66 ERA in 47 relief outings.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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