Papelbon decision impacts Yankees
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 22, 2007 
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Tony La Russa drives in a straighter line than the Red Sox.
In August, Theo Epstein stood on the field at Fenway Park making excuses that he couldn’t have a payroll like the uber team Yankees. Two months later they were spending money wildly to get Daisuke Matsuzaka, Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew.
Then we heard that the best thing for Jonathan Pabelbon’s sore shoulder was to start. Terry Francona swore at the start of spring training that he would never use him to close. It has to be about protecting the kid’s future, he said.
Now Pabelbon is the closer again. The party line out of Fort Myers is that he asked to close. Oh, well that makes perfect sense. I’m sure the medical reasons will just go away. Perhaps Manny will ask to play shortstop.
From the standpoint of the Yankees, the interesting part of this is that Julian Tavarez is the new No. 5 starter. Now the Red Sox have a glaring need for Roger Clemens.
The Rocket continues to say he won’t decide until May. But behind the scenes you have to believe the recruiting process is well underway. The presence of Andy Pettitte gives the Yankees an edge. But with Roger, anything is possible.
March 22 and everything one rival does impacts the other. The games begin before the games begin.
That organization is a fraud.
The word is that he ASKED to close? LOL … I thought he was the one who insisted on being a starter…. or did he?
As far as Clemens goes – yes, Boston now has a glaring need, but I just don’t see him going back there for some reason. It’s not a NY vs. Boston rivalry thing, either – I just can’t picture it happening.
Do we want Roger? I mean did we all forget that we still have 1 person who admittedly used P.E.D.’s and another (Pettite) who was/still being investigated by Mitchell’s probe? Think about it, Clemens HAS to be on SOMETHING.
It. Just. Doesn’t. Make. Sense.
Some classy organization they are, completely neglecting this kid’s health to cover up the mistake they made in not acquiring a solid closer this offseason.
sure hes a great closer but this hurts the kid in the long run, this decision probably just took 5 years off the kids career.
The date is March 22.
The Red Sox are already panicking.
How funny is this?
How does Boy Theo keep his job?
The Yankees were being use By Redsox as their puppets.
For Example -
February 2004 – Redsox are looking to trade Manny and They were interested trading Manny for Arod straight up. In 12 hour, Theo, and John Henry were at visiting Arod where He staying for the night. The Next day, Union won’t allow Arod reduce his salary from his contract. From that point on , Cashman swoops in and called Former Texas Gm John Hart to trade for Arod. I thought when The Yankees acquired Arod from Rangers; He will bring Yankees to The next level and possible winning the World Series. As a Yankees Fan, I never expected Arod’s will bring bad luck and misery to this team. The 2004 ALCS collapsed after Yankees leading 3-0 has been the worst losses ever. The Redsox brass got the last laugh after they won The world series in 2004. In a Dark and Quiet Room, where Theo and Lucchino were smiling and giggling . Lucchino says “How’s sweet it is We use the Yankees and they fell for the trap, They’re fools trading for Arod”
2006- This time, Redsox fool and use The Yankees again by not resigning Damon to a contract and use that money to spent on Matsuzaka,JD Drew and Lugo this offseason
He was against becoming the closer before he was for it.
You are the best writer in NYC – your blog is the bestand you do more posts than anyone to keep us (thefns) informed and you do it with humor as well – thanks
“Now Pabelbon is the closer again. The party line out of Fort Myers is that he asked to close. Oh, well that makes perfect sense. I’m sure the medical reasons will just go away. Perhaps Manny will ask to play shortstop.”
This is funny. Props.
I can’t shake this mental image of the entire Red Sox’ front office as clowns.
@JT – That’s pretty creative, but ludicrous. L
Clemens isn’t on the Red Sox’s mind. They might sign him if he’s available, but their thought is that Jon Lester will rejoin the rotation once he’s fully recovered.
And to Bunk (props if that’s a reference to “The Wire”): Pettitte’s name was falsely associated with PEDs because of a bonehead reporter who reported hearsay (when the truth came out, it made Clemens and Pettitte look good — Grimsely actually said “never in a million years” would either man ever use steroids).
Papelbon back in the bullpen: how much says Villone ends up in Boston’s pen?
Of course, there’s the possibility that as a lifelong Yankee fan and northern NJ resident, Villone would say no…
they need no Roger Clemens..
I wanna see them go down in flames; but I have a feeling both Schilling and Matsu… will be 20+ game winners this year. damn them both for eternity !!!!!!!!!
Glad to see Jon back in the ‘pen. We can go back to calling him “Papelblown!”
JT, I think the Red Sox spending had more to do with them coming in 3rd place last year then “fooling” the Yankees.
Papelbon will not be a dominate closer in the AL East. The book is out on him and the hitters know him now
Papelbon——> .92ERA
We better hope the “book is out”
schilling went on WEEI radio on wednesday morning and said, among other things, that “we spent $140M to put this team together and we still don’t have a closer.” they asked him who he would be handing the ball to in the ninth inning after pitching eight innings and curt said “i don’t know.”
less than two days later, papelbon volunteers to go back to the bullpen. i say schilling put him up to it. and the management people went along with it.
read shill’s blog if you want. i think it’s called “38pitch”
Jon Lester will be the fifth starter by the end of April. He is still recovering from cemo. CEMO! Come on….they will have to depend on him, Julian is not a starter as proven last year. I agree that Papelbon will be a good closer, but .92, forgtta-boubt it. Here’s to an early retirement, or injury…..or whatever, sends the Sox down in a flame ala last year.
No thanks, I have standards to maintain.
Yankees would be better off if Pappelbon was a starter…cause he cant do it!! He sucks.
I hope Clemens goes to Boston…it just makes it that much sweeter when we bomb him. He needs to stick to the National LEague where he could look like he is still a pitcher.
Philly Rich
Anything we can do to help your move toward being an ex- Yankee fan quicker?
This is an excellent blog; Pete is a professional with a penchant for the tongue-in-cheek comment and no matter how passionate the “fan”atics get, the only hatred channeled should be aimed at the “one and done” schlemiels in Boston
And if you wonder where that came from, it’s a quote from Larry the Lip Lucchino, who said this in Winter 2005:
“We have a slogan around here: Any group of schlemiels can win once. We gotta win more than once . . . [every 86 years]
Very early this morning when the news broke that Papelbon was going to be the Sox closer there was a quote from him saying something to the effect he was going to close and something about seeing what the situation is around the all-star break.
Then tonight I’m looking at the very same link on espn.com and of course can’t find any of the original quotes. It’s been replaced with quotes like, “This is something I want to do for the rest of my career” and “I haven’t been sleeping well because there’s been that feeling deep down in my heart that I wanted to close. It’s where my heart is.”
One last blasphemous quote was, “Hopefully I can do what Rivera has done for the Yankees.” Gag.
It was really strange how Papelbon was acting like it’s a necessary evil this morning to ‘it was like totally my idea’ tonight. It’s straight out of Stepford Wives. Strange, very strange.
Rich Myers,
I’m not Philly Rich. Jeez.
I really don’t see Clemens going back to Boston. There’s no connection there anymore. He still has more connections with the Yanks and Houston. Pluse the Yansk kept their ammo dry while Theo got drunk and went on a winter long spending spree.
I agrre Phil. Clemens has been sniffing around the Yanks all spring, I say he comes back to NY or Houston. I know the Red Sox have said they would go after Clemens, but do you really think they would spend an ADDITIONAL 22 mil or whatever it would take, given that they have generally, until this offseason, tried to be careful with money? In any case, I also think they would like to develop their young pitchers.
Papelbon closing is good for the Yanks. The dude will get hurt again, and he is ultra cocky, so if he needs to change something to not get hurt, e.g. throw a different pitch with a different motion, he won’t do it. We caught onto him last August and the aura has been lifted.
oy, too early… agree*
Aimless drifting….grasping at straws for success rather than having a plan and executing that plan…Boston is becoming what the Yankees were at times under George and the Tampa contingent—before Cashman got more power.
I guess imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery.
Let’s play: “Where’s Roger Going?” I think it will come down to money since NY and Boston on paper seem pretty equal. Who’s going to ante up and who’s going to fold?
Boston would have to shell out a ton to get Rocket on top of the Dice K money. That’s a big one year hit, but without huge luxury tax implications since the posting bid doesn’t count. And they also have more flex in making room since Tavares is rightfully only a bullpen arm and not a huge, huge salary.
The Yankees can probably better afford a one year (half-year) contract with Rocket given their winter re$traint. But there is the luxury tax factor, meaning that it would cost NY more to pay Roger the same amount of money. This is an example of why Cashman is looking to get more “flexible” – - so he could do a Rocket deal with some breathing room. NYY would also have more trouble making room for Rocket. They would have to demote one of either: the $20 million man, Pavs, or Japanese bonus baby Igawa. I just don’t see either Pavs or Iggy out of the ‘Pen because neither has a good heater. Of the two, Iggy is a better pen prospect since he has more deception.
So, bringing back Roger would cost the Yankees whatever Rocket’s ransom demand is times the luxury tax factor, plus eating the salary of either Pavs or Iggy. That does not sound like Cashman these days.
I think Boston can afford to make a bigger $ play for Roger and he takes the cash.
But wait – we’ve been told for 2 months that pitching 180 innings is much more valuable than pitching 80 innings?
I guess those concerns about his shoulder have magically disappeared.
I thought being s starter was Papelbon’s “dream”?
After the Foulke debacle, I’m surprised that Boston is willing to take risks with a pitcher who is so important to the team.
Also, I’m surprised that the best explanation for giving Papelbon the closer nod is that he asked for it. Didn’t Pedro Martinez ask to pitch an extra inning in some important postseason game, and things didn’t turn out so well?
That said, this is a “damned if you do” situation for the Sox. If they converted Papelbon to starter, we would knock them for having no closer. In fact, Pete once said something to that effect in a post listing all the Sox’ problems (such as Pedroia at second, Lowell knowing he was nearly traded for Helton).
I happen to think that closers are overrated for the most part – while there are clearly some greats out there, I don’t think a team dies if it doesn’t have an elite reliever to pitch the ninth. Look at the Cardinals, for example: had you heard of Adam Wainwright before this season? It’s more important that a team have a well-balanced pen than one particularly great closer, because if your setup man blows a lead, your closer won’t even make it into the game.
For that and related reasons, converting Papelbon to starter made a lot of sense to me. He would have given the Sox a complete rotation and might have been a no. 3 starter or better. And if his health really suffers as a result of closing, the Sox are squandering talented young pitching, perhaps the most valuable asset in the entire game.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:37 am
schilling went on WEEI radio on wednesday morning they asked him who he would be handing the ball to in the ninth inning after pitching eight innings and curt said “i don’t know
____
funny he only pitched 8 innings 4 times last year. weei loves to twist things.
whatever happened to Hansen and Delcarlmen – those supposed “uber” prospects from the Sawx’s farm?
“2006- This time, Redsox fool and use The Yankees again by not resigning Damon to a contract and use that money to spent on Matsuzaka,JD Drew and Lugo this offseason”
i can’t believe i am responding to such a stupid post, but can you please enlighten us as to how saving $52M on Damon allowed the Sox to spend $209M this offseason?
I agree the Sox don’t really NEED Clemens, and that the rotation is probably just fine (ie intimidating enough) as it is, though I don’t think Tavarez is their long-term plan.
I think we will see one of the prospect kids step up in Boston. Maybe not in April, but before the year is over.
Roger or no Roger.
–
Prospects, Closers, and More, Updated Daily:
http://www.scoutingbook.com
“We caught onto him last August and the aura has been lifted.”
dude, yanks scored one earned run off of him opposed to 12 Ks during the 2006 season. i can’t stand when people make dumb statements without a single second of research.