Veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon will not reach a deal today with the Red Sox or any other organization, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. As a result, he will not be eligible to appear on a postseason roster.
That decision makes it seem all but certain that Papelbon will not look to pitch again this season. The long-time closer is known as a fiery competitor, and it is hard to imagine he’d go through the process of trying to ramp back up without the potential for suiting up in the playoffs.
Whether or not Papelbon will seek to make a comeback in the future remains to be seen. We haven’t heard any suggestion that he is mulling retirement, of course, but there is now at least an open question. After all, Boston and other organizations did express real interest in picking up the 35-year-old after he was cut loose by the Nationals earlier this month.
This just in! Papelbon hasn’t become good again after from taking a few weeks off.
He’s ‘Wash’ed up.
The whole incident is bizarre. Washington activated him, cutting loose another player. Then it told him it would DFA him, and he asked for his release, because he would have ended up in DFA limbo unless a trade could be worked out. For some strange reason, Washington agreed–essentially allowing him to make his own deal immediately while being paid his full salary–with Washington losing the possibility of prospect or salary relief. There obviously was some interest–but Papelbon won’t sign.
It’s hard for a once elite player to accept decline. Still,this seems like a very unusual course of action, unless he thinks either a) he’s retiring, or b) he’s going to get offered some giant contract in the off-season
I agree that it feels like something else is in play here. No I don’t have any insight that anyone else doesn’t have, but this is too weird. What competitor quits a team with the 3rd best record in all of baseball. What player doesn’t try to sign on quickly the year he is going to be a free agent. Seems like we are missing part of the story. But who knows.
Maybe is thinking about resting his arm until next season. He wouldn’t have much time to make his season numbers look better for a contract next season anyway.
He’s a fool….. He would’ve been better off finding a team that he could’ve pitched with still this year to prove that he still the dominant closure he’s always been then next spring sign a lucrative longer-term deal with the new team now the best he can hope for next year is maybe a one-year deal with somebody for a prove you still got it amount of money. he should fire his agent
Oh Johnny, you’re such a TEASE !
He’s done ….. He took too much time off…….