BREAKING NEWS: Papelbon is Papelgone
(Sweet commercial, Paps)
Just when I'm driving home after a great week I get the news that Jonathan Papelbon has signed a 4-year deal with the Phillies worth 50 mil.
Son of a bitch.
Everything was going grreat until Papelbon Irish jigged his way to Philly.
Good luck in Philly, Paps.
You were one of the most dominant closers in the game for the Sox, yet somehow you were never good enough (except 2007).
Good luck doing that jig without "Shipping Up to Boston" blaring in the background.
Maybe our next closer will rely more on his pitches than a stupid fish face before he pitches.
For those of you out there that can't find any positives in this news, consider the following:
1) The IQ of the Boston Red Sox just jumped at least 40 points.
2) The Sox will most likely receive the Phillies' 1st round pick and a sandwich pick as a result because Paps was a Type A free agent. It is the 31st pick, but it's still a 1st rounder.
3) The free agent closer market is deep as hell this year so whether the Sox promote Daniel Bard to closer and get a guy for the 8th or just sign a new closer straight up, the production will most likely not take a hit.
Unless that fat ass Bobby Jenks is somehow named closer, but I don't see that happening unless he threatens to give everybody his Type I Diabetes somehow.
But there are plenty of options at closer this off season, which is both fortunate and peculiar. But I'm not about to question it. I'm just happy the Sox should be able to find a worthy replacement for Paps.
That list includes guys like Ryan Madson, Heath Bell, Jonathon Broxton, K-Rod, Frank Francisco, Joe Nathan, etc.
That's a ton of talent on the open market.
I'd be happier than a pig among guinea pigs if the Sox signed Heath Bell.
He's a perfect fit; Outgoing personality, good clubhouse guy, throws a baseball well, hasn't had less than 42 saves the last 3 years, and best of all, he slides into the mound when he pitches in All Star games.
Oh yeah, and he's already said he'd love to play here.
If Ben Cherington signed Heath Bell and either Joe Nathan or Jonathan Broxton to incentive-laden deals then the bull pen would be in great shape.
Especially if he brought in Broxton because I think he's going to have a HUGE season next year.
And I won my 8-team fantasy baseball league last year so I obviously know what I'm talking about. No big deal.
But I was looking up Broxton's numbers for the purposes of this post and I almost passed out. In 2009, the dude had 36 saves with a 2.61 ERA, and ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN K's in 76 innings.
That's 1.5 K's per inning. He struck out a dude and a half every inning for the entire year! That's absurd.
So when Ben Cherington reads The Buzz and signs Heath Bell and Jonathan Broxton or Joe Nathan, you can all come thank me for building the Sox' awesome bull pen.
Posted by Manny Ortez at 11/11/2011 5:46 PM 
Categories: Red Sox
Tags: red sox mlb jonthan papelbon phillies
Categories: Red Sox
Tags: red sox mlb jonthan papelbon phillies
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