BOSTON (AP) — Catcher Jason Varitek exercised his $3 million option to stay with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, choosing to remain with the team as a backup to Victor Martinez rather than become a free agent.

Boston declined to exercise its $5 million club option on Monday, and Varitek then had two days to decide whether to exercise his player option at the lower price.

The 37-year-old Varitek was Boston's starting catcher for nine of 10 seasons through 2008, except in 2001 when he was limited to 51 games because of injury. He was the regular last season until Boston obtained Martinez from the Cleveland Indians in a trade on July 31.

Boston exercised a $7.7 million club option for Martinez on Monday.

Since coming to Boston from Seattle with pitcher Derek Lowe for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb in July 1997, Varitek hit .259 with 175 homers and 705 RBIs. But he slumped the past two seasons, hitting .220 in 2008 and then a career-low. 209 this year. He also threw out just 10 of 118 runners attempting to steal this year, according to STATS LLC.

Frequently praised by pitchers for his game-handling ability, Varitek caught 108 games last year, 106 of them starts. Most were before Martinez arrived at the trade deadline. Varitek holds the Red Sox record with 1,381 games as a catcher.