The Boston Red Sox have signed 31-year-old (how is he only 31?) catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one-year, $1.35 million contract as reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Shoppach will mainly split time with Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate.

Shoppach, who spent the 2005 season with the Red Sox, hit .176/.268/.339 with 11 HR’s in 253 plate appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. Expect Shoppach to play against left-handed pitching. Despite his overall low OPS, Shoppach did manage a .788 OPS against left-handed pitching in 125 PA’s.

This works well in a platoon with Saltalamacchia because Salty really struggles as a right-handed batter. Salty had just a .635 OPS against left-handed pitching last season.

What must have also been appealing to the Red Sox is Shoppach’s 41 percent caught stealing percentage last season. Anyone who has watched the Red Sox over the years knows first-hand of their struggles throwing out runners behind the plate. The Rays have abused the Red Sox on the basepaths over the years.

With Salty, Shoppach, and even Ryan Lavarnway in the fold, this likely means the end of Jason Varitek‘s career in Boston. That’s a bittersweet thing to say.

I loved Varitek in Boston. One of my favorite players and a great leader. However, Varitek was toast as a player two years ago. He still had the does still have the ability to call a great game, but watching him try to throw runners out was beyond painful to watch.

Varitek will be 40 at the start of the 2012, so this might be the end of Varitek’s career…period.

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By The Baseball Index