ESPN: Papelbon to close for Red Sox again next year...

[winningtheweapon]

According to ESPN, several team officials have reported that Papelbon will be named the closer after Today's game vs. the Phillies. So now the replacement is the question. Who will replace his spot in the rotation? Gabbard? Pauley? Tavarez?

[bakes781]

wow thats a bit of a shocker! I cant imagine Paps being too pleased with this decision. I thought his health was at risk if he remained the closer?

[SoxSon]

According to ESPN, several team officials have reported that Papelbon will be named the closer after Today's game vs. the Phillies. So now the replacement is the question. Who will replace his spot in the rotation? Gabbard? Pauley? Tavarez?

Wow...that's weird. I just finished posting about Pap in the "closer" thread. It's been looking more likely for a while. Are doctors giving the ok for this?


Edit: Can you provide a link to this, WTW?

[winningtheweapon]

Wow...that's weird. I just finished posting about Pap in the "closer" thread. It's been looking more likely for a while. Are doctors giving the ok for this?


Edit: Can you provide a link to this, WTW?

I don't have a link, but it's now on their bottomline ticker. I don't like this decision at all because this dilutes the rotation, and I honestly don't have much of a concern with the pen as I did in say....2005.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I don't have a link, but it's now on their bottomline ticker. I don't like this decision at all because this dilutes the rotation, and I honestly don't have much of a concern with the pen as I did in say....2005.

This might just have to do with Timlin being sidelined. At least, that was the story as of yesterday.
It could just be temporary.
Here is the link from ESPN. com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...ory?id=2808345

[bakes781]

This might just have to do with Timlin being sidelined. At least, that was the story as of yesterday.
It could just be temporary.
Here is the link from ESPN. com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...ory?id=2808345

Oh I highly doubt that. You can't play around with his arm like that. It smells of desperation to me unless they have confidence that there is no added health risk by making him the closer. He was great last season as the closer, but I believe Jon really was excited to start this season so I have mixed feelings about this move.

[Dirt Dog]

I think that w/the rotation that we have, certain heads have been looking down at the pen and there's nothing there that would give them any confidence that games will be closed. Pineiro hasn't been given a chance to close in games that matter yet. With Pap as a starter, I thought a trade might have happened to secure a top closer.

But to think that our starters will hopefully pitch well into the 7th inning only to let games slip away would be totally frustrated. Just ask the Atlanta Braves about the last couple of years.

[Dogdaze]

This is an intersting development. I also have mixed feelings about this. I love the job he did last year as closer, but worry about his health.

I thought due to health reasons it was better for Papelbon to be a starter, giving him more rest between games. But I read the following in the Boston Herald today, so maybe the health of his shoulder won't be at risk;

Since being shut down with shoulder tenderness last September, it’s been assumed the best route to ensure Papelbon’s long-term health is to switch to the regular routine of a starter, over the erratic workload of a closer.

At least, that’s what the Sox medical personnel outlined as the rationale behind his move into the starting rotation.

Yesterday, Papelbon said his arm wouldn’t be jeopardized performing either role, thanks to his strengthening program, which he’s following diligently.

“I’ve talked to a million doctors. For me, it wouldn’t matter what I do, start or close,” he said. “My shoulder is still going to stay healthy because I’m going to stay on my program and do what it takes, no matter what kind of pitching I do. I’m going to keep my arm healthy. So, (my role) is kind of irrelevant.”

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSo...75&srvc=sports

[Jager]

I honestly didn't see that coming. Not that it was out of the question, but I thought for sure he'd start the season in the rotation.

My opinion on his arm is that it was complete BS in the first place that it would help his shoulder to start. I just don't believe that anyways. I think the Sox used that as an excuse to move him to the rotation. I think Idealy, someone would have taken the closers role, and ran with it, but once no one did, they are moving him back. I don't think it really has anything to do with his arm. I think that was BS anyways.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I honestly didn't see that coming. Not that it was out of the question, but I thought for sure he'd start the season in the rotation.

My opinion on his arm is that it was complete BS in the first place that it would help his shoulder to start. I just don't believe that anyways. I think the Sox used that as an excuse to move him to the rotation. I think Idealy, someone would have taken the closers role, and ran with it, but once no one did, they are moving him back. I don't think it really has anything to do with his arm. I think that was BS anyways.

Sounds accurate to me.

[Westlake]

What a terrible decision. Waste a good arm in the rotation to put it in the most overrated role in baseball.

[Jager]

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/ar...=.jsp&c_id=bos

It's on the Sox site now too.

[Dogdaze]

While Papelbon is an awsome closer, the next question is who will take his spot in the starting rotation? Taveraz, Snyder, Peniero?

While plugging one hole (closer) the Sox have opened another (starter).

I'm not too confident with any of the above.

One possibility might be Lester, if he's healthy. That might work.

[Westlake]

I hope it's either Lester or Snyder.

[Matt1901]

What a terrible decision. Waste a good arm in the rotation to put it in the most overrated role in baseball.

I would have liked the Red Sox to have had a closer in 2003 and 1986.

[Westlake]

I would have liked the Red Sox to have had a closer in 2003 and 1986.

I would like for them to just put their best reliever in at the most crucial part of the game after the starter is out.

2003? Their bullpen was ridiculously good in the playoffs... too bad they didnt get a chance in game 7.

[SwissRedSoxFan]

Oh man that would really be too bad...

Our rotation wouldn't be the best in MLB anymore. Tavarez as a starter...I'm not very confident with that decision... It's simply a mistake by the Red Sox FO. There were a couple of closers out there. But they thought they could do an extraordinary approach to this role.

Papelbon must be a starter!

[VTSoxFan]

On redsox.com they're saying that Tavarez is the most likely to take Pap's vacated spot in the rotation:

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/ar...=.jsp&c_id=bos

[Evangelion]

I'm fine with Tavarez. He's good during his brief starting role last season. He deserve a shot. Plus, he wasn't that impressive in the pen last season. I hope Lester the 6th starter and will take over the role for a struggling starter, mainly if Wake or Tavarez struggle.

Not a huge fan of this role. I prefer trying Hansen or Delcarmen at the closer role. I agree with Westlake, taking a valuable arm out of the rotation for a highly over-rated closer role.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

I got this from my KFFL email subscription, ESPN claims that the Red Sox will not use Papelbon as a starter, as planned, but as their closer...

Looks like Pineiro and Hansen weren't what they were looking for.

Boston's got enough pitching depth to go along with this move...

[The Kid]

Yes, this move is right in every aspect. Now we have a lights out closer in Pap and a good, happy starter in Taveras.

[PhilWings24]

i'd like to start by saying hello to everyone again, this is my first post in forever. i'll becoming more and more active again as the season comes back around, but yeah...anways

wow thats a bit of a shocker! I cant imagine Paps being too pleased with this decision. I thought his health was at risk if he remained the closer?

in every interview i'd seen, i'd gotten this sneaking suspicion he wanted to return to clsoing. I'm sure they ran it by him, too; it would certainly seem that they weren't too adament about him closing and that if he protested they'd likely listen.

overall i'm not pleased with the decision, really. the sox closer situation was shaping up to be pathetic, but their overall bullpen situation has gotten more crap than it deserves. to me they have 5 pitchers in there you can expect to be solid, maybe 6 (pineiro, timlin, tavarez, donnely, delcarmen, okajima with hansen being the maybe).

given that, i think papelbon is plain worth more as a starter than a closer, not to mention that his chances of a long succesful career seem to be greater as a starter.

for one thing, this means i can't say the red sox have the best rotation in baseball anymore which is a shame (i get that value is value, whether its from the pen or the rotation, "best rotation in baseball" is just a fun title to give your team). i suppose they're still top 5 though.

also, it was nice to see a team that at least seemed to really care about their player's well being over wins and losses. despite the fact that i personally would disagree, pretty much everyone seems to agree the sox'd be better this year with him in the pen, and i assume they feel the same way. it was just nice to see them say that they wanted to keep him healthy first and foremost. it has occured to me though (and i don't have any medical training or anything like that, although i am taking anatomy and physiology right now lol) that the strain caused by starting just can't be a whole lot different than the strain caused by relieving.

i don't know though, this is one of those things that, really, you'll never know if it was the right decision. even if he tears a rotater cuff first day of the season (god forbid lol), you won't be able to say it definitely wouldn't have happened with him in the rotation.

iunno, we'll see how it works out.

[PhilWings24]

that quote from papelbon is at least encouraging, that he feels confident in his shoulder.

as for teh 5th starter, really, i think tavarez, lester, or snyder would all be good for the role. people--myself included, honestly--are gonna compare the replacement to papelbon, but that isn't how it should be looked at (not to mention unfair to whoever his replacement turns out to be); he should be compared to other 5th starters.

if our 5th starter can sonsistently pitch 6 innings and give up 3-4 runs, given the lineups they'll be facing in the american league (east), that's an awful good 5th starter.

in my opinion lester is absolutely the long term answer (long term, in this case, meaning from maybe august of this year and on through next year), but it would seem to me a full recovery before then would be nothing short of remarkable.

[CuriousBoston]

wow thats a bit of a shocker! I cant imagine Paps being too pleased with this decision. I thought his health was at risk if he remained the closer?

Francona insisted the medical people would have the last word. Papelbon is a kid, he would play with a broken leg, if he could hide it. Strengthening programs cannot make up for the daily grind on a lights out closer.

His arm is going to be out at the shoulder joint again. The only question is how soon? Or will it be a season ending muscle/ligament/other:take your choice? Perhaps putting his career at risk.

[Mattingly]

So what's their 1-5 now? Schilling, Mats, Beckett and who else?