What Jason Varitek said about speaking with Giants for manager job

Red Stockings

“It was short, but it was good. It was a good conversation.”

Jason Varitek spent 15 years as the Red Sox catcher, then the past 11 years between the front office and coaching staff. Rob Carr/AP photo

Jason Varitek was reportedly a candidate when the Giants were hiring a manager last month.

San Francisco ended up hiring Bob Melvin for the job, but Varitek said his contact with the Giants was a good experience.

“It was short, but it was good. It was a good conversation,” Varitek said on Friday on the red carpet of the Pedro Martinez Foundation gala.

Varitek signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox last year. His role with the Red Sox is game planning coordinator and catching coach.

The Red Sox gave Varitek permission to interview with the Giants Alex Speier from The Boston Sphere. Many, including Red Sox manager Alex Cora, see Varitek as a future manager of an MLB team.

“He will make it in the big leagues,” Cora told reporters two years ago. “He will. But it’s a process and we’ll talk about it. I think in time someone will give him a chance and he’ll kill it. He’ll be great.”

Varitek said it was “great” to be contacted for an opening and that he sees management in his future.

“I understand that the future of where this is going is that we have the right combinations and opportunities to lead and manage a team,” said Varitek. “Right now it’s not necessarily about that, it’s about doing the best job we can with our pitchers and catchers and helping them be the best they can be. If the opportunity is a good fit, you should look at it carefully and think about it carefully.”