FanHouse DustyBrown

The Red Sox have been among the most active teams in free agency since the calendar turned to 2009, inking the likes of Takashi Saito, John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Rocco Baldelli and Mark Kotsay to deals in the new year. Those are good signings for an organization as deep as the Red Sox, but a major hole at catcher remains on the big league roster.

Boston has already signed Josh Bard to a non-guaranteed deal this winter, but unless it is willing to hand a significant portion of the catching duties to an untested backstop like Dusty Brown or George Kottaras, it is going to need another catcher.

Longtime backstop and team captain Jason Varitek is still a free agent, but, at least for now, the Red Sox seemed resolved to pursue other options in an effort to get younger behind the dish.

The minute Mark Teixeira signed on the dotted line with the Yankees, Boston's top offseason priority shifted from bolstering the middle of their order to finding a starting catcher. Teixeira was a unique commodity on the free agent market, but the Red Sox don't need a corner bat like they need a steady catcher.

Incumbent Jason Varitek is a free agent, and despite possible acrimony over the way agent Scott Boras handled the Teixeira sweepstakes, Boston is continuing to talk to him about a potential return, according to the Boston Globe. There has been very little interest in Varitek, the catching market -- whether in trade or free agency -- is weak and for the sake of continuity it may make sense for both sides to reunite.

On the other hand, the Red Sox seem to be sending out signals that they'll go in a different direction. The team is close to a non-guaranteed deal with Josh Bard. He had a short, unsuccessful stint in Boston in 2006 and an abysmal season last year, hitting .202 in 57 games. But he also posted the highest line drive rate of his career in 2008, and also the second lowest batting average on balls in play, suggesting he's a good bounceback candidate.