It didn’t take long for us to see the first bad contract of the offseason.
The Philadelphia Phillies locked up former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon for four years. The price: $50 million.
Yeah, that’s big bucks for a closer that’s seen better days and has been used a lot.
The Phils had been trying to sign Ryan Madson, but couldn’t come to terms. Instead, the Phillies went the Yankees rout and signed a big name at a record price for a closer.
Good luck with that, Philadelphia.
Papelbon (2.94 ERA, 31 saves) might be best remembered for blowing a save on the last day of the season to complete Boston’s collapse and allow the Rays to make the playoffs.
It’s funny how the big-name, big-money signings during the winter haven’t quite worked out the past few years.
Does Cliff Lee ring a bell? How about Mark Teixeira?
I wouldn’t be surprised if we could look at Papelbon the same way a year from now.
– The three biggest names available in free agency are Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes.
Here’s where I think they’ll end up:
Pujols was wined and dined by the Marlins already but likely will stay in St. Louis.
My money’s on the Marlins getting Fielder or Reyes. With a new name (Miami) and uniforms (ugh), the Marlins need to make a splash. I’m guessing they’ll land Fielder, who’s younger than Pujols.
I’d like to see the Tigers get Reyes and add defense and speed to their infield. Of course, with Reyes, there’s also the injury report that you need to pay attention to. The Tigers will need to compete with the Nats to land Reyes.
