11-12-2011: Papelbon signs with the Phillies
November 12, 2011 3 Comments
Four years and $50M, that’s what it took for Jonathan Papelbon to bid adieu to the Red Sox. The deal reportedly contains a vesting option for a fifth year at a salary of $13M or so. GM Ben Cherington noted that the Red Sox were not really a match for Paps and what he wanted going forward, but he will be missed for at least the first couple of years, I would think. My suspicion is that the Red Sox shied away from any four year deal because of their ongoing concerns about his shoulder.
Papelbon was just a great, great player for this club at a time when we desperately needed a strong closer. His memorable performances and personality will be missed.
It’s not that Papelbon is irreplaceable – there are a lot of relievers out there who are closer material – but I would rather not be dealing with another unknown quantity coming into 2012. The scouts and the data suggest that Daniel Bard is the most ready option to take the ball in the ninth, and I’m glad that Bobby Jenks should still be around next year as well. We’ll still need two more solid arms back there, though.
The good news? Papelbon did not go to the Yankees or anyone else in the AL. Still, we could very well be seeing him in the World Series one day soon. I just hope that it’ll be later rather than sooner, because he is still a tough, tough matchup. Making a move to the NL is a great move for Papelbon, and he is likely to put up some staggering numbers there if he can stay healthy.
Thanks for the memories, Jonathan, and best of luck to you. At least until the World Series.
Red Sox Talk 
We’ll enjoy the two compensatory draft picks we’ll receive from letting Paps walk. Thanks, Phillies!
i hope you’re right that we’ll be okay.. i am not a fan of the decision not to even talk to him about re-signing!
I’m not sure we can say we’ll be just fine. We will miss Papelbon, at least for the first year or two. After that, I expect his performance to decline a little bit.
I don’t see any free agents that can step in and be his equal right now. But I do think that we can sign a “good” closer/setup guy and build up some depth in the back of the bullpen to help lessen the blow of losing Paps.