MLB: Jonathan Papelbon’s Career on Life Support
By David Hill
Remember back when, a couple of weeks ago, Jonathan Papelbon said he was mulling over “several” MLB offers? Yeah….about that…..
When the Washington Nationals released Jonathan Papelbon, it was expected that he would sign with a contender relatively quickly. After all, quite a few teams with playoff aspirations needed help in the bullpen. So, when Papelbon said that he was considering several MLB offers, there was no reason to think otherwise.
And then….crickets. The days passed, and Papelbon still had not signed. Teams like the Red Sox, who had previously expressed interest in the former closer, began to take back their offers. And now, with the calendar having turned to September, Papelbon is still unsigned, and is now ineligible for the MLB postseason.
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So, what happened? Speculation is that, if Papelbon wanted to sign, he would have already. In fact, no one quite seems to know what he has been doing in the past few weeks since the Nationals let him go, leading to questions of whether or not he even wants to pitch again this season, or try his luck in free agency this winter.
Of course, there is another possible option. Maybe these ‘offers’ that Papelbon claimed to be mulling over were simply not there, akin to the ‘mystery team’ that pops up in every Scott Boras negotiation. Maybe other teams simply did not trust the combustible Papelbon in their clubhouse, and the potential effect he could have on the team’s chemistry.
After all, this is the fellow who attempted to choke out Bryce Harper last season, showing the general dysfunction of the Matt Williams run ballclub. He has had his moments of showing his appreciation to various crowds, grabbing his crotch and giving them the one finger salute. His teammates in Washington had tired of him, and with his declining velocity and effectiveness, Papelbon just was not worth the headache any longer.
Does anyone want to risk having Papelbon be Papelbon and potentially cause a rift during the stretch run? The Nationals, after all, thought he was the final piece to the puzzle last year. And it turned out that he was, only he was the final nail in the coffin for the 2015 campaign.
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The MLB playoffs are around the corner, and quite a few teams still need bullpen help. And yet, Jonathan Papelbon is still on the sidelines. Maybe that speaks louder than anything else as to how he is viewed around the game.