Jason Varitek’s bid for offensive redemption will not, as strongly suggested by many New Englanders, involve his giving up on the idea of switch-hitting. Since Varitek came in at a feeble .201 from the left side of the plate last season, and always has been more powerful from the right side, it would seem quite logical for him to permanently stay in the right-hand batters box.

Instead, as outlined by the Boston Herald’s Sean McAdam,Varitek is working with Red Sox batting coach Dave Magadan on working some of the kinks out of his clunky left-handed swing. It’s one of those spring training projects that seems worthwhile; certainly, considering his 2008 frustrations, Varitek has nothing to lose by such tinkering.

But if he steps into the the left-hand batters box in June, gazes at the center-field Jumbotron and sees himself hitting .230, he may want to decide then and there that his switch-hitting days should come to an end.

Considering the drag he became on the Red Sox lineup last season, it would be a very unselfish move by The Captain.

An update on the soap opera from Camp Empire:

Alex Rodriguez, now tagged as the biggest distraction in baseball on at least one Gotham back page, is headed off to play for the Dominican in the World Baseball Classic – and a chat with Major League Baseball investigators looking into his steroids foibles with the Texas Rangers.

As reported by the New York Post’s George King, the MLB investigators will seek information as to how often Yuri Sucart, Rodriguez’s cousin, and legendary Dominican strength coach Angel Presinal were around the Rangers and Yankees.

Rodriguez, of course, named his cousin as the injector of those performance enhancing substances he dabbled with in Texas.

This is unlikely to be the final meeting between the MLB detectives and Rodiguez. The Yankees can only hope the probe doesn’t drag into the summer; the venerable New York tabloids, however, would love nothing better.

As advised by the Daily News, A-Rod “ better be prepared to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Jason Varitek, Red Sox, Yankees