FORT MYERS, Fla. – With Parker Guinn taking the reins as catching instructor (and bullpen catcher), legendary Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek is taking on a new coaching role this year.

Varitek, the club’s most recent, and perhaps eternal captain, is now the ‘Game Planning and Run Prevention Coach.’

Cora feels both the team and ‘Tek’ will benefit from the change. The catchers will learn from “a different voice” in Guinn while Varitek expands his coaching repertoire.

“I like the fact that he’s not going to be locked in with the catchers, that he’s gonna meet, be more like a rover with us,” said Cora. “The game-planning part of it, there’s nobody better than him. So they’re going to have that, but at the same time, kind of like be around me most of the time, be in the other fields, being that voice.”

Varitek has been with the Red Sox for nearly three decades. He was a minor leaguer when the Red Sox sent Heathcliff Slocumb to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Varitek and right-hander Derek Lowe at the ‘97 trade deadline, one of the most lopsided trades in franchise history. Varitek debuted that fall and spent his entire playing career in Boston, winning two World Series and a host of personal accolades before retiring after the ‘11 season. He then became a special assistant before joining the uniformed coaching staff.

Being a mainstay has downsides too, Cora explained.

“I think everybody in this organization, me included, I think the people around our area, we take him for granted. Like, ‘Oh he’s the captain, he’s gonna be okay.’ But he wants more,” Cora said. “He wants to learn more. His goal is to become a big-league manager, and the more time he spends with us, I think the better he’s going to be for his career. And I think the whole team is going to benefit from this.”