Jason Varitek just spoke to the media, making clear that his priority from the start of his free agency was to exhaust every opportunity to stay in Boston, but that getting a multi-year commitment was his key goal if that could be accomplished. Prior to his face-to-face meeting with John Henry in January, Varitek suggested that the negotiations hadn’t really gone anywhere.

Here are some highlights about the contract negotiations from his Q&A with the media:

Was there every any doubt you’d be back?

I wouldn’t say there wasn’t any doubt, but there was never any doubt in what I wanted.
I know where my heart is, and this is where I’ve always wanted to be.

How difficult was the process, given that it lasted all offseason?

I’m just glad at this point it’s over with. I’m ectastic that I’m a Red sox. I’m ecstatic for the fact that I had peace of mind to know that I’ll be in this uniform. I get closer to retiring in this uniform—not saying that I see retirement anytime soon—but it allows me that opportunity to do what’s most important for me, to wear the ‘C’ for this group of fans and people in this organization who have spent a lot of time building a championship.

How important was the meeting with John Henry?

I think you’d have to ask Mr. Henry that. I don’t think it hurt the situation. I think it may have accelerated some things. I have an agent that does a job for me. In this instance, I felt the need that I needed to be involved. … Maybe it did help. But I can’t really answer that for sure.

Did you ever second guess your approach to the offseason?

Ultimately I got what was important to me, which was being able to maintain the legacy and maintain the opportunity to be here and knowing there’s a commitment back from this organization that I’m going to be here. That was the most important thing for me from the get-go. I’m just happy. I’m happy that I’m here, I’m happy that I’m part of this organization, still, and happy with this opportunity with what this team has coming into camp, to get back and win another championship.

Is there any resentment about the way that negotiations unfolded?

There’s always a business aspect to this. That’s part of the reason that you didn’t hear me at all throughout this process. I’m a player, they’re management, we have people that deal on the business end of this. Either way, I can’t walk away from this and not be the same person, not go out and work my tail off for this pitching staff, work my tail off with other catchers, other position players. That doesn’t change what I do. Now, the fact that it’s over with, the important thing is that I have the ability to be here and know the door’s open for next year.

Given that Jorge Posada got a four-year deal before 2008, were you expecting and hoping for a similar commitment?

Of course. I’d like a commitment here of 20 years. But I don’t know that I’m going to play that long. The important thing was that I had the commitment to me that goes beyond one year. That was very important to me throughout this whole process. It allows me to continue what I believe is the biggest part, that this organization has gone through a lot in my tenure that I’ve been here. We couldn’t get over the hump, then we get over the hump and win a championship. We went from trying to get there to now trying to continue to be there. There’s a big difference. To be a part of that has been so valuable to me.

Do you regret declining arbitration? Did you do so because of the desire for a multi-year deal?

At the time, you’re not going to know exactly what’s going to happen. … As far as the commitment, I really wanted to get to multiple years, the two years, and get that commitment back. It left a lot of uncertainty towards me, towards my role. If my role changes, I wanted to be able to make sure that if my role did change that I could continue to develop and do the things they asked of me, to add and pass on my knowledge and the things that I have learned to maybe that next generation of catchers. So, yes, that was what was most important to me. In the end, that side of it, being able to maintain the fact that I’m one step closer in this uniform, I’m proud of that.

What was the clincher in the negotiations?

I don’t know what the clincher was. I know that after the meeting, that things got started, really. There really was nothing before that. But I don’t think that fact really made so much of a difference. The two sides were able to get together a lot more after that. So, yeah, if my involvement aided that, I’m glad I got involved. If it had no impact, the final result is that I’m still here in this uniform.

Would you have gone somewhere else? Were there other opportunities?

Throughout this process with Scott (Boras), I maintained that what I wanted was that we exhaust all alternatives here. This is what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to stay. I didn’t quite pull the governor off of him, so to speak, to allow him to pursue all opportunities. That was important to me. Outside of everything else, wearing this uniform has been important to me. I was very emotional towards that, which is a big reason why I stayed out of it, media-wise and etc.

After Game 7 of the ALCS, you were rather emotional. Do you remember what you were thinking at the time?

We just lost, for one. We’re Game 7. We’re another step from getting a chance to be inthe World Series. Then, you deal with the end of the season and there is a level of uncertainty with what’s going to happen. Now, you have a chance, all of a sudden it sinks in what’s going to happen with you. Sometimes I have a hard time holding back my emotions. That was a time that I couldn’t.

The session also touched on other aspects of his performance and the forecast for the Red Sox in 2009. Here are some of the highlights from those exchanges:

What steps will you take to improve your offense?

We’ve taken a lot of steps. I think there’s different parts. The fact of the matter is that I  kind of struggled left-handed throughout different parts, different months. I worked on things this winter. I make my job harder offensively at different times. (There is a need for) solidifying, being basic, trying to shorten things up, and having a simple approach.

Terry Francona said that he wouldn’t pinch-hit for you early in the season. Did you ever wonder whether he might pinch-hit more for you this year?

We’re at the first day of B.P. on the field. I can’t play that way. But I also have to play with the ability to give the manager the respect that he is the manager and he has to be able to make decisions. It’s just like when my name’s not in the lineup that day, or if the night before they decide that someone is going to catch the next day, that’s the manager’s decision. I’ve always functioned that way and I’m going to continue to function that way. I don’t look for that to happen. I’m not going to look over my shoulder for that to happen. I’m going to look to help this team win games.

Can you still play 130-140 games?

I believe so. I had a very productive winter as far as training, getting my strength back, working on my agility, still, I’ve got to go through a throwing program, I’ve got to work on my hitting. I’m in a good place right now.

Have you done a lot of hitting prior to today?

I hadn’t been outside. I’ve been inside. I’ve done my work. And I’ve spent time doing it. It’s been a part of the whole process. I’ve been going into this, with an opportunity with this team, and this pitching, to help this team win some games.

How confident are you that you can bounce back offensively this year?

Very confident. Extremely confident. I think that, the way I looked at some things, I had some rough spots, but there were also some real good spots. It’s been my case offensively my whole career that I can make things a little tougher. The most I can simplify things offensively, the better I’m going to be. Hopefully, I can get to a point where I can use my best asset, which is my strength.

How do you feel about the rotation?

We don’t know who those five guys are. We have a lot of depth. Exactly who’s going to be healthy, who’s going to be ready, we have depth beyond that. It gives us a lot of options. It’s just exciting from my end to know that, what I believe, and everyone knows, is that pitching is going to win you championships. It’s a start. It’s a good base. We have to get through (spring training) healthily, get through some learning curves with some people in the bullpen, a little newness in the rotation, some newness that will be added to the team later in Smoltz. We don’t have a cookie cutter of the exact same group of people. You have to go through a learning curve again.

What do you think of Smoltz?

Easy. Impressive. Everything from his character to his personality to what he’s done on the field, you look at him competing with 22-year-olds running yesterday and he’s right there with them. There’s a reason he’s played as long as he has, and been able to go starter to closer back to starter and been successful at all. A huge competitor with great abilities.

What did you see from Lester last year?

Development as a pitcher from a younger pitcher, that he is still, into becoming more complete. I think that Jon’s still on that upward tier of figuring out who he is and adding and getting better. He had a rough beginning of the year. Things weren’t clicking the way he wanted. He had an outing when he throws a no-hitter, and then he becomes a horse for us. But I think that Jon Lester still has another big step that he’s going to continue to develop.

How much of 2008 was a health struggle for you, given the bouts of sickness?

I don’t sit there — I never will and I’m not going to — make and excuse. It is what it is. I can’t control some things that happen health-wise. I’m still not using that as an excuse.

Why do you struggle more left-handed?

I don’t know. It’s been in cycles. There’s been times in my career when I was hitting left-handed, and they’d bring in Stanton and make me hit right-handed. It’s a juggling act. There’s two personalities, two different things. Now it likes like in the East we got a little more left-handed pitching. It can be pitching or it can be you. There’s a counter-balance. It’s always been two personalities, two different people, two different strengths, two different weaknesses, two different dominant hands, one on top, one on bottom one side, one on top, one on bottom on the other. It’s alter egos. Literally. They’re both a pain in my rear some times.

Would you catch Wakefield?

I think those things are managerial decisions. My first major-league start was with Wake. You grow up, you catch fastball, curveball, slider, split. Then you make your major-league debut and you catch something that you have no experience with. I’ve caught him. I had him come into games the year he closed. When (Doug Mirabelli) was here, the year that I got hurt, it seemed to benefit Wake the most when he had somebody who he could count on working with him. The next year, Grady came in and said, ‘Hey, Tek — Mirabelli did an excellent job last year. What do you think about him just catching Wake?’ I said, ‘OK, whatever.’ It seemed to work really well for Wake. Having done it in a platoon role, (Scott Hatteberg) and I, there is a difference. Importantly, it’s what’s best for the team.