Jason Varitek's divorce is done

BoSox catcher Jason Varitek is back on the market. The captain's divorce from wife Karen, whom he married in 1996, was finalized this week in Georgia. Most of the details of the divorce are sealed, but we do know that Varitek has joint custody of the couple's three daughters, ages 3, 7, and 9. (By order of the court, 'Tek's parenting time is 40 percent annually and his ex has the girls the rest of the time.) The 37-year-old switch-hitter, whose monthly income is $416,666, has agreed to "equitably divide all marital assets" and to cover 100 percent of his children's healthcare costs through 2010. (After that, mom, whose monthly income is listed in court documents as $0, will pay 50 percent.) There's no mention of alimony, but the bearded backstop will pony up $9,000 per month in child support until May 2011, when the amount will be reduced to $4,500. Varitek, who's been with the Sox since 1997, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the team before the season. (There's $5 million club option, or a $3 million player option, for next year.) The divorce decree, signed Tuesday by Judge Melodie Snell Connor, stipulates that the couple can't interfere in each other's lives, and shall behave "as if never married to each other."

Update: The Herald also has a mention of the Varitek divorce this morning, and it's suspiciously similar to our item, which we posted yesterday afternoon. Very interesting. Here's the tabloid's take. You be the judge.

That Red Sox [team stats] captain Jason Varitek [stats] and his wife of 15 years, Karen, are finally divorced. The decree was signed by Judge Melodie Snell Connor in Georgia on Tuesday. While most of the deets of the divorce are sealed, it is known that the catcher has custody of the couple’s three daughters - ages 3, 7, and 9 - 40 percent of the time. ’Tek, whose monthly income is $416,666, has agreed to "equitably divide all marital assets," pay 100 percent of the girls’ health care through 2010 and fork over $9,000 in child support until May 2011 when the check drops by half. The judge told the couple that they can’t interfere in each other’s lives, and behave "as if never married to each other."

Caption: Sox captain Jason Varitek is congratulated by J.D. Drew, Jason Bay, and Kevin Youkilis after hitting a grand slam against the Yankees REUTERS/Adam Hunger