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| Phillips on D&C: Trade Papelbon | 10.13.09 at 1:38 pm ET |
Former Mets G.M. and current ESPN analyst Steve Phillips, during a visit with the Dennis & Callahan Show on Tuesday morning, said that he expects the Red Sox to dangle closer Jonathan Papelbon in the trade market, and that he believes the Sox should use the hurler as a chip.
Phillips suggested that reliever Daniel Bard has shown that he has the arm and — in his postseason appearances — the makeup to close. In an offseason when the free-agent market is regarded as weak, Phillips suggested that the Sox’ best avenue to improve their team for 2010 is to use Papelbon to try to acquire an impact player via trade.
“I think if Papelbon is available, and I think he will be, I think there will be a significant market for him and teams will really step up,” said Phillips. “When you look at the Bobby Jenkses of the world who might be available via trade, and guys like that, Fernando Rodney is a free agent, Papelbon stands out as a difference maker. If I’m the Red Sox, I look at the arm that [Daniel] Bard has. They know his stomach better than anybody. I know they see that at some point he’s a closer. I take that shot. I trade Papelbon, take that money, re-invest it somewhere else, and really, instead of dip in the free-agent market – which is not a great free-agent market this year – utilize a trade to be able to really impact [the team]. I think it’s critical.”
Phillips also weighed in on whether he, as a G.M., would rather pursue Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, the two premier sluggers in this offseason’s free-agent market. Phillips based his assessment on Bay’s proven ability to succeed in a big market and the likelihood that the Red Sox outfielder will cost less than Holliday.
“I probably go Jason Bay, and the reason is that, for whatever reason, Matt Holliday doesn’t play well in the American League,” said Phillips. “I take the guy I know versus the guy I don’t know. I like Matt Holliday. I think – I think – he can play in Fenway, and I think he can play in Boston. But we know what Jason Bay can be. My sense is that Bay will probably, probably, there’s less marquee value with Jason Bay than there is Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday has kind of blown up into being this kind-of superstar guy. I think you get a slightly better deal with Bay than Holliday. So I think you stick with Bay.”
To listen to the complete interview, which also included discussion about potential Sox trade targets this offseason and David Ortiz’ future in Boston, click here.
9 Comments for “Phillips on D&C: Trade Papelbon”
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October 13th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Now i know why Steve Phillips is at ESPN giving his unsolicited opinions than still managing a MLB team.His assessment of Papelbon’s future is way off base.Phillips knows about as much as i know about what the Soxs should do about next season,and thats very little.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Makes sense to me, especially if the Sox can convince Wagner to hang around. The Sox either have to get a punishing bat, or go real hard after King Felix. Either way they have to trade to improve to any degree … and Paps is great trade bait …
October 14th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Ha trade Pap.. What the hell is this guy smoking. Who are we going to get in trade. What team is stocked with replacements for Bay and is so desperate for a closer that they would trade a slugger for him? Also are we resigning Wagner? The outfield for next season is going to be Drew, Ellsbury and who else? the only position in our infield that is a question is ss, and maybe third base but we have enough bench players to fill in for Lowell if he goes down for a few games here and there. So we would only trade Pap for someone to replace Bay in the outfield. This limits the people we can go after, and it limits who we will trade for. Youk, Pedroia, Ellsbury are the core of the team they are building around. Martinez is here for the year or longer unless we find someone better for the next year (is someone better out there other then Mauer?). No one in their right mind is going to pick up Drews contract (actually drew is a better player then most people think, but still far overpaid. He gets on base when he is healthy.)
So this leaves us with Lowell, the SS ?, one spot in the outfield that we might try to fill in the off season. I think we are going to stick with Lowell for the rest of his contract, try hard to sign bay and probably sign him, and find a decent SS replacement (which is most likely going to be Gonzalez). I think if we don’t get Bay back we might go after Bobby Abreu for a short term deal with lots of incentives since he has proven he can produce and it would allow us to see what other options are out there.
Holliday is going to be overpaid by whatever team gets him, and he is much better off staying in the national league. Bay is going to get a fat contract and not get quite as overpaid as Holliday.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
reaffirms why I watch the espn game of the week and turn the sound off.Jon, Joe, And Steve……..yuck…….howe do the three of you fit into one booth…must be tough…….theres not just a little animosity in that booth..Joe, the self named, I say whos worthy of the H.O.F. Morgan.( who could not make Ryne Sandbergs induction for some strange reason) Jon, I’m just a windbag who just knows hearsay and never played a day of ball in my life, Miller, and last but not least pretty boy, I got my pockets full and have never won anything Steve Phillips. Could you all just do the baseball world a favor and put yourselves on mute……. Thank You.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
My fellow redsox fans we cannot get too emotional. I love pap too but we have to look at reality. We traded nomar in 04 and won. I trust theo and his team. The fact is that bard makes pap expendable. You also have to look at money issues with pap he is going to want big money. We have bard locked up for a while. We need to resign Bay and get a power lefty bat like Adrian Gonzalez and another set up man to bridge to Bard. Mikey lowell will have to retire and we will have to move youk to third. Dont know about big papi but he did bounce back.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
This should speak volumes to Papelbon. The kid thinks hes on the same level as Mariano. If these turn out to be just rumors, the fact that its even being spoken about should knock the kid down a few pegs. Im not simply hating on Papelbon, he has put up very good numbers. So have Joe Nathan, Jonathan Broxton…etc. There is Mariano, then theres the other above average closers(where papelbon fits into), then average closers. Aside from the fact his WHIP is pretty outrageous for a closer, the Sox can probably get good value for him. Personally I hope he gets traded to the Pirates and stays there for the rest of his career for even thinking he can speak of MARIANO RIVERA, the greatest there ever was, is, will be. I hope hes having a nice round of golf right now, while the Yanks continue to do what they do, win ALCS’ and WS.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Papelbon is a very good closer. What he needs, are some new pitches – change up, slider, ie., instead of being traded. How about the pitching coach, you’ve got pitchers in the bullpen that should be traded way before Papelbon should even be considered for trade. We need a stronger bullpen.
Then the batting coach, players never swing at the first pitch, maybe they should if it looks good.
How about trading Ortiz, he’s been struggling for the last 2 years at least. He just doesn’t seem to have it anymore. He’s an easy out most of the time and all of the other teams know it.
Veriteck could be replaced as well. He’s a good catcher but can’t seem to get the ball thrown fast or accurate enough to get a base stealer out anymore.
Francona is a good manager of the team, I like Terry, but there are times when I wonder what he’s thinking when certain pitchers are brought in or left in way too long. The best pitchers for the team are in my opinion: J Becket, J Lester, C Buckholtz, D Bard, Wagner. Those are the ones that stick out, and of course J Papelbon for closer. You know it’s not always the players, I hope you also take a look at the coaching staff too.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:28 am
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November 8th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
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