Jonathan Papelbon told reporters that he’s comfortable without a long-term deal even though he wants to be in Boston long after the Red Sox lose control of him following the 2011 season. As Alex Speier of WEEI.com notes, Papelbon can see himself closing games at Fenway for a while.
“Of course I would love to be with Boston for a long time,” Papelbon said. “But this is the way it is right now. I’m happy going one year at a time. I would love to stay here for 15 years.”
By then, Papelbon will be 44 years old, but he can envision himself pitching into his forties. And when it comes to closers succeeding late into their careers, Papelbon doesn’t have to look any further than 40-year-old division rival Mariano Rivera.
“Mo, he just makes it look easy. He makes it look easy,” Pabelbon said. “Hopefully I will be able to, but only time will tell.”
Papelbon is under contract for $9.35MM this year. He says he didn’t ask the Red Sox about his place in their long-term plans this winter.
Papelbon has to suffer from some kind of split personality disorder. I can never quite put my finger on what exactly he wants. He wants to be the highest paid closer ever which contradicts his team values and he now says he wants to stay for 15 years, contradicting the money statement. I wish he would just shut up and pitch, and im a fan of him
It’s not contradictory when you consider it’s Boston we’re talking about.
I’d love Papelbon to stay, he is still a top 5 closer. But I agree with the “shut up and pitch” statement. The problem is the fact that he’s good has gone to his head which sometimes makes him pitch different.
LOL couldn’t agree more. he’s gone tho man. I hate to admit it, but he’s long gone. Unless he’s willing to ink a 3/36 or 4/48 deal, or something along those lines (once again saying that the Sox believe he’s worth being a TOP 3 paid closer), he’s gone. There is no way that Theo gives him anything higher than 4/48… Pap will push for 6/92 or so and the Sox will tell him to have fun, round out the rest of the franchise, Pap will come back asking for 3/36 or 4/48, and the Sox will no longer have it in the budget. He will likely go the way of Johnny Damon with the Yankees, overestimating his value.
There isn’t any contradiction. Like everyone else, he has multiple priorities. He’s made it very clear which priority comes first.
I love watching when the personalities begin to shift. It’s the tide of whoever has the money. Notice: BoSox payroll ballons to around a possible 170mm this year and mysteriously Papsmear comes out and says he wants to play there for 15 years. Go figure.
If Papelbon was on a team with a smaller payroll then his fate would be tied with Bard’s (or another young closer type) development over the next two years. With Boston’s payroll they may just elect to keep their pen depth by keeping Papelbon in the closer role and not moving everyone else up a level.
IF (and thats a big IF) this was the case, the Sox would have put a package together for AGon. Only reason they haven’t yet is because they see Buchholz as a number 1 or 2 starter, and they see Bard as the successor to Pap. If they didn’t see things working exactly that way, they both would have been packaged together with Westmoreland and a mid level prospect in a deal for AGon, Halladay, or MCab. And any of the 3 teams would have been absolutely out of their mind to turn that down!
If his contract demands remain high for the coming years, The Red Sox may turn elsewhere but I’m sure they want to have him as long as he wants to stay with them.
I think what Theo will do is run his dual closer plan once Bard is ready. It’s obvious he has been trying to do it for awhile. I mean with Gagne, Wagner, and Saito. He could throw them out so they don’t pitch consecutive days. That’s why I’ve been so skeptical about the trading Papelbon to move Bard into the closer role rumors. I don’t think either of them are going anywhere.
It seems he’s changed his stance on staying in Boston. Now, maybe he can change his facial expressions on the mound.
You don’t like the deliberate exhale and intense glare? I guarantee you every little league pitcher in New England tries to imitate his facial expressions haha
I dislike him.
Funny personality but a good ballplayer
I think there’s pretty much zero chance that Paps and the Sox work out a long-term deal over the next 2 seasons. I think most Sox fans would be open to it, but certainly not for the kind of $ Paps would ask for. I think most of us have accepted the fact that he’s gonna reach FA after 2011 and go to whoever offers the most money OR he gets traded at one of the next two deadlines for an impact bat and replaced by Bard. Either way, Bard is the future closer.
He wont get traded for the same reason the Sox won’t lock him up long term. There is no reason to give up much for a closer who wants a lot of money who is not under team control much longer. Unless the Angels suddenly pop out as a WS threat, Papelbon will finish his arbitration years a Red Sox member.
However, after that I agree. I wouldn’t say 0 chance. But I would still not put it higher than 5% though I’d love to see Papelbon be a lifer just like Mariano.
I agree that he’s unlikely to be traded but he COULD be appealing at the deadline to a legit contender with bullpen issues..
For those noting the fact he stopped mixing his pitches properly, you’re not the only ones who noticed. In an interview with the globe today, Papelbon admitted he let his split-finger kind of fall out of his repetoire last season and admits that was a huge mistake. That pitch was the one that made him borderline untouchable in previous seasons and if he can get that back, the quality should return.
boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bas…
Just watch any game he pitched last year. He literally NEVER threw the splitter last season. He removed one of his best pitches to focus on other ones. Its a stage many closers go through especially approaching their prime, when they realize, “Crap, My Fastball won’t be 95-97 forever.”
Anyone who watches Red Sox baseball knows that Pap wasn’t the same last year. In fact, it’s been the last two years. I love going year-to-year with him. Somehow, he still gets the job done, but I’m scared whenever he’s out there.
Apparently only a few of those people understand what changed, though, and that none of it was cause for much concern.