Comments on: Getting Ready to Bard the Door

By: Nateg26

Nateg26 — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:38:11 +0000

The other option for the sox, is to resign Papelbon as a starter. If he has interest in doing so then that would leave the spot open for Bard or one of the other talented relievers in their system to take over closer while gaining a valuable starter. If he fails to re-transit to the rotation then the downside is that you now have a dominant closer. Doesn’t sound bad to me.

By: Ezra

Ezra — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:23:20 +0000

Now that the closer’s market has come back to earth (3yr/37m for the record setting performance demonstrates the ceiling of the market) it makes more sense to retain a shut-down closer. 12m a season would be money well spent on Papelbon, even with good talent coming up the system. Papelbon is best in the game now, potentially can be for the Sox what Mariano has been for the Yankees over the years. Unhittable.

By: Redsauce

Redsauce — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:56:10 +0000

K-Rod was born in 82, Paps was born in 80.

By: alskor

alskor — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:02:06 +0000

He’s 28.

By: hynes

hynes — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:19:23 +0000

I do love Papelbon though.

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:52:43 +0000

And Papelbon is older than K-Rod.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:33:25 +0000

It’s exactly what the Halos did with K-Rod. It was great to have him but there was no way we could justify paying him that much money for only 70 innings a year. I don’t see a smart Red Sox club dishing out big bucks to bring Papelbon back. They’ll probably find someone cheap to hold the door and pave the way for a younger guy like Bard to work his way up.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:26:03 +0000

Judy,

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Papelbon is shopped his last year, or just let go after his arbitration years are up for the draft picks. Theo seems to be very progressive when it comes to contracts, and especially after the mess with Foulke, I can’t see him ever paying double digits per year for 80 innings. I think he’s realized by now it’s just not money well spent even when you have a high payroll.

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:47:37 +0000

Delcarmen’s the one they’ve supposedly been shopping, and Matsuzaka seems ready to come back, so Masterson might have made his last start yesterday. I’ve actually been wondering what they could get in a trade for Papelbon.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:21:17 +0000

Thanks for the informative article, Marc.

I just picked him up in one of my fantasy leagues(needless to say, I have a very beleaguered bullpen that has seen the likes of Manny Corpas, Joe Beimel, and Jensen Lewis all serving in it–it’s a 16-team mixed league).

I’d love it if the Red Sox were to jettison Saito. He’s got the lure of being a former closer, but I wonder jut how much the Sox trust him in high leverage situations, anyway?