Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox have made a one-year offer to Jason Varitek for considerably less than the $13.1 million per season that Jorge Posada currently robs from the Yankees.

In my mind, the money is not the issue; it’s the one-year offer. I can’t envision a scenario where Varitek signs with the team for one season — unless, of course, he’s being signed as a backup. If that’s the case, who do the Red Sox have in mind behind the dish in 2009? Salty from Texas? Laird? Pudge Rodriguez? Ray Schalk?

Don’t you think they should have hashed that out before they offered their captain a one-year deal that’s obviously going to piss him off? This story seems incomplete.

Leaks are great, but only if you ask some follow-up questions, like, "Wait, a one-year deal? Then who are the Sox going to get as their long-term solution behind the plate?"

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This is shaping up to be one of the more interesting Hot Stoves in recent Red Sox history, and mostly because one signing (Mark Teixeira) could have a domino effect on the entire team. If the Sox commit silly dollars to Tex (and I hope they do), then Lowell is obviously going to be traded. And if the Sox are going to trade him, they’ll probably want to move him in a deal for a catcher. None of this is breaking news, of course. The Red Sox have been eyeing Saltalamacchia for a long time. If they’re going to bring him in to be the starter, then yes, offering Varitek a one year deal makes sense. After all, if Tim Wakefield’s shoulder injury is career-threatening (as has been reported), then the Sox don’t need to carry Kevin Cash next season.

Still, offering Varitek the backup catcher position before you acquire the starter seems like putting the cart before the horse, no?

Just give Teixeira his $200 million, Theo. The Sox can recoup that cash with our new farm team, i.e., Japan, where another pitching phenom, Junichi Tazawa, has reportedly agreed to join the Red Sox.

That $51 million posting fee on Dice-K is starting to look like a damn good investment.

 Cam Martin also writes for CBS Sportsline and BugsandCranks.com.