Pedro Martinez said he hasn’t spoken with Jason Varitek since the Red Sox reassigned him, after the team’s 125th Fenway events and recent staffing shakeups.
When the Red Sox unveiled a night of celebration at Fenway Park, the smiles were real. But for Pedro Martinez, the festivities also reopened a familiar question about what happens behind the scenes.
Martinez. a member of Boston’s 2004 championship team and a longtime fixture in the franchise’s history. spoke to reporters after the organization returned its legends to the ballpark for a pregame ceremony honoring the 125th anniversary of the Red Sox’ first home game.. The group included Wade Boggs. Carlton Fisk. David Ortiz. Jim Rice. Carl Yastrzemski. and Martinez. along with first-pitch moments that brought hugs and good energy before Boston’s 2–0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Still. the broader state of the franchise has been far less celebratory. with the Red Sox enduring a losing record and conducting a sweeping change to its coaching staff last month.. Those developments—set against the backdrop of a historic day at Fenway—helped frame more difficult conversations for Martinez after the event.
Central to his remarks was the club’s decision to move Jason Varitek out of his prior responsibilities as the team’s game planning and run prevention coordinator.. Varitek, Martinez’s former primary catcher, had been a key presence during their shared years with the Red Sox.. Martinez said he has not spoken with Varitek since the reassignment. and he doesn’t know what led to the move.
“There’s gotta be a reason. ” Martinez said. emphasizing that Varitek—often referred to as “Tek”—means a great deal to the city and to the Red Sox identity.. Martinez added that he won’t speculate on internal reasoning without knowing it directly. noting he hasn’t been in the offices to learn the specifics and expects the organization to explain when he has the chance.
Martinez’s comments also recalled the relationship built during the later stages of their playing careers.. He and Varitek were teammates from 1998 through 2004. and they finished that run together with the championship year that ended what was long described as the franchise’s curse.. In that context. Martinez framed the reassignment not only as a staff change. but as a separation from a familiar “battery mate” dynamic that still resonates even in retirement.
On the day of the ceremony. Martinez described what he would have expected—seeing Varitek around the field and exchanging the kind of camaraderie that comes from years of working side by side.. He said Varitek may have received a baseball after Martinez’s own first pitch. but he also acknowledged that the reassignment means he won’t get to see him in the same role.
Asked about the wider staff turnover. Martinez did not suggest the changes were easy. but he offered a pragmatic view of what comes next for those affected.. He said he believes the coaches who were let go will find new roles in Major League Baseball when they want them. pointing to how quickly talent and experience tend to cycle back into the league.
Martinez also addressed his relationship with former manager Alex Cora. saying he has spoken with Cora since Cora was relieved of his duties.. He described Cora as someone he can reach more easily than Varitek. adding that Varitek is “not a phone kind of person. ” which Martinez suggested is part of why he hasn’t been able to connect with him after the decision.
Cora’s post-job choice became another thread in Martinez’s remarks.. Martinez said Cora could have returned to baseball immediately if he wanted to. but instead chose to rest and spend time with his family.. Martinez said he respects that decision and understands what it means to take care of family first before returning to the sport.
For Martinez, the tension between public celebrations and private uncertainty runs deeper than any single personnel move.. By tying Varitek’s reassignment to what the catcher represented for the franchise and for the city. his comments underscored how strongly Red Sox baseball history is felt in Boston—especially when the on-field results and organizational stability have been under strain.
Pedro Martinez Jason Varitek Red Sox Fenway Park Alex Cora MLB coaching changes