Two cornerstones of the Boston Red Sox could be in their final seasons at Fenway Park.

But should Boston hold on to either Jason Varitek or Manny Ramirez?

The arguments for keeping them are as different as their personalities.

The Red Sox would want Ramirez for his bat and little else.

Boston would want Varitek for everything but his bat.

Ramirez remains a feared slugger and a needed cleanup hitter batting behind David Ortiz.

But while Ramirez's fielding is OK, he can be an adventure in left field. His base running is suspect and his actions sometimes appears childish, which brings suspicion to every mysterious injury -- currently, his knee.

And Ramirez is 36.

Varitek is the captain and team leader while playing the most valuable position, catcher. His work ethic and grit are never questioned. He may be the best in the game at handling a pitching staff.

But Varitek's offensive numbers continue to decline. He is batting .215.

Every big hit he gets is celebrated as a possible sign of his return to form, but the slump continues.

And Varitek is 36.

While the reasons for keeping each player vary greatly, the one common rationale is money.

If the Red Sox want Ramirez back next year, they've got him. All they have to do is exercise the option on his contract, which will pay him $20 million for 2009.

Keeping Varitek is more complicated. This is the final year of his contract, and he has the demanding Scott Boras for an agent. Boras will use Yankees catcher Jorge Posada as a point of comparison. New York re-signed him after last season when he was 36, giving him a four-year deal for $42.4 million.

So, for about $30 million to $33 million next year, the Red Sox could have both Ramirez and Varitek, two players whose age alone makes them candidates for declining numbers. With one, you question his maturity; with the other, you wonder if he can still hit.

That said, here is why the Red Sox should keep both.

At $20 million, Ramirez may be overpaid, but his value in the lineup remains.

As for his personality, the big leagues are about winning, not molding character. If Ramirez is on my Little League team, I bench him when his act gets old. On the Red Sox, I pencil him into the No. 4 spot.

But if Ramirez's behavior affects his performance to the point he is useless to the team, Boston just saved itself $20 million.

To keep Varitek, both sides must give a little. Varitek already has shown he is not Boras' puppet. After his last contract expired in 2004, Varitek directed Boras to initially negotiate only with Boston instead of going to the highest bidder.

If Varitek insists on a four-year deal, I think he's gone. The four-year contract for Posada already is shaky, with Posada unable to catch this season and facing offseason shoulder surgery.

If Varitek is willing to settle for a two-year deal, even with an option for a third season, the Red Sox should jump, possibly for something at $10 million a year.

Varitek's presence is too valuable to let him go next year. Boston needs to cut his workload, which means a more viable backup than Kevin Cash.

Of course, the search for catcher is also necessary in case the Red Sox don't re-sign Varitek.

Boston's best candidate for next season in its minor-league system is former Portland Sea Dogs catcher Dusty Brown, 26, who is strong defensively and is putting together his best offensive season at Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting .278 with 10 home runs.

Current Sea Dogs catcher Mark Wagner, 24, remains a future option. He is quick defensively. After a horrible June, when he hit. 159, he has rebounded to boost his average to .245 with 10 home runs.

Wagner could be the future No. 1 catcher, just as Brandon Moss or Josh Reddick could be the future left fielder.

But for 2009, the Red Sox could still use Varitek and Ramirez.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com