So who would Papelbon replace? Tazawa seems like damaged goods, but I don't see him being DFAed. I think Ross is the only reliever with options left?
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- Thread starter nvalvo
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They have a 40 man roster spot open and Hembree can be optioned to AAA. Why would they DFA him.
I heard last night Pap was going to say where he wanted to go in 24 hours, anyone heard anything else on that front?
I can't imagine that would be before 9/1, so it wont be an issue immediately.
They say Pap's fastball is down to 91-2. That would be superhuman for Koji and would make his splitter even more impossible. Maybe Koji can teach Pap how to throw a splitter like Koji (since getting Koji to throw 91 is not going to happen).
His velocity isn't what it once was. He also supports Trump and the 2nd amendment which will not endear him to the media and fans here. Too big of a distraction and not enough results
Doesn't that describe Tom Brady as well?
Edit: not the velocity .. Just the politics
True but so does Belichick and I would jump in front of a bus for him. It's hard but we just have to focus on the field. Lalalalalalalalala fingers in ears lalalalalalalala
Farrell said they already spoke on the phone. I would think that part of the conversation had to be along the lines of "You'd be a very spare part here. You will talk like Nuke LaLoosh when he made the Show. Anything else and you're gone." And that's part of what Papelbon is weighing.
I think, as a general rule football fans couldn't care less about player's personal or political views or drug use or criminal behaviour .. As long as they can play its OK with the fan base.
Baseball fans on the other hand are completely different in this regard IMO. It would have been a pretty big risk to have brought in Chapman or Ryan Braun for example.
Very true but with the political climate it is right now I'm sure his views made him a much easier cut than if he was running his mouth and throwing 95 again. Right now in this country it's you're voting for Hillary or you're a racist gun toting redneck. Then you have the chicken and beer stuff last time Papelbon was in the club house. He's slightly better than Noe Ramirez but is he worth the headache? Last thing the Sox need is protestors outside of Fenway because Papelbon pisses off the wrong group. However, instead of being a 9th inning guy he's now 6th or 7th. So there is also that with regards to his temperament.
The scary part is Hazen and Farrell are almost talking like its a done deal. But the political views especially in a place like Boston has to be a factor. A fringe player supporting Trump could keep him out of the bigs next year if his production doesn't pick up. No one wants the headache. Just my opinion. 91 MPH and the "wrong" political view isn't a winning combo.
I don't know about you but I wouldn't have taken Greg Hardy on the Pats for free.
Take it easy. You are vastly overblowing the issue. With vastly being an understatement. They're not going to have protestors outside Fenway because Papelbon supports Trump and likes to hunt.
Papelbon is auditioning for a job for next season. Yeah he might be dumb as a box of hammers, but he realises what the opportunity to finish out this season on a good note means for his baseball future. He's said as much himself. If there are concerns for his performance fine, but I'm not overly concerned that he'll be turning interviews into Trump ads while wearing this tee shirt.
Also, I don't recall Paps being linked to the chicken and beer thing, but Lester and Lackey were, stayed around for a while after all of that and there seemed to be little fall out after the dust settled. How many years have passed now? I would consider that a non issue.
I'm not saying they will. I'm saying he has a high probability of opening his mouth because he has the wrong political views. If schilling was still around in his prime he would be crucified for his views regardless of performance. What do you think the reaction would be to a rapidly aging closer. He's a non PC guy and that isn't cool at all.
Now regardless of all that I might get behind this if he could at least touch 93-94 still. But he can't do it with any consistency. He sits at 90-91 now. His stuff has eroded.
Did Schilling ever really sound off about his political leanings when he was a player? I also remember a couple of pitchers from that era who were hunters and wore camouflaged Sox caps and camo tee shirts in the clubhouse. I'm assuming they would also be supporters of second amendment rights and perhaps even NRA members and you want to know something? I would love to see a couple of those arms on the Sox staff right now and I doubt fans would have an issue with it.
So eroded stuff and being vocal about supporting trump? Like Buchholz? How many picket lines has he created? And I'm sorry, "he has the wrong political views"? That's a pretty absolute statement to make based off one DC writer (who walked it back after he was criticized by his peers for picking a personal battle) going off on him for wearing a tshirt. Which is to say nothing of the fact that political views are, ya know, varying from person to person. While they might not agree with the majority in that particular city, that doesn't make them wrong - and no, I'm not a trump supporter and this isn't V&N, so let's leave it there. He wasn't wearing a Hitler tshirt.
You're reaching. Pretty far. And you're equivocating yourself pretty poorly with your deliniations of what would and would not be acceptable based on his radar gun readings. Up until a stretch of a handful of games a few weeks ago his 90-91 was working perfectly well for him. He's shown he can be effective with what he has. If not - or if he causes a sit in like you're so worried about - than they cut him. Making up bullshit reasons why it might be a risk - chicken and beer, really? - is nonsense.
I'd kill to have vintage Timlin in the pen. Not literally with a gun or anything like that. And how about Wake doing what's best for the team and playing long man if needed?
I'm not saying because the guy is a hunter he's no good. I'm saying I could deal with him being non PC and all the other crap if he could at least throw a 95 mph fastball like he could in his prime. That's not really reaching.
No that's just not having any courage of your convictions.
The rest of your nonsense was the reaching part.
All I was doing was clearly illustrating points of why this wouldn't play in Boston. You really can't say with certainty he's not going to shoot his mouth off. All things being equal if he was the 2010 or 2011 version I would take him back in a heartbeat despite his political views. But, he isn't. Why bring a distraction like this into the clubhouse?
I'll add this. I'm not going to boo the guy if he comes back just because of his views. I'll support any Sox player within reason. But it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to bring him in.
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Yeah I know he's a big bow hunter, him and Wake, but believe think they shoot as well.
No, you're not "clearly illustrating points of why this wouldn't work in Boston". You're speculating on a bunch of bullshit reasons that don't mean anything and then hedging your bets by saying "but if he threw harder I'd be OK with it".
There's no reason to think he'd be a clubhouse problem. Three are multiple teammates, coaches and FO members that were here to experience the glory that is the Papelbon Asshole act. They have seemingly signed off on it.
You seem to think that people that have enough social conscience and opposing political views that they would picket the stadium if he spouted off are also big enough baseball fans that they would ignore it if he was vintage Papelbon. That seems like an extremely small subset in my estimation. YMMV.
You're working off next to nothing as evidence there's reason to worry about him spouting off in a political fashion - he wore a t shirt and played a Trump song in the locker room and a beat writer took offense. Said beat writer was then criticized by his peers for bringing it into the lockerroom.
You're somehow justifying your stance based on his radar gun reading, when three weeks ago he was far more than adequate for the role would have here.
The people that know him, want him.
The people that know more than you or I or anyone here, seem to think he can help.
No one is picketing or boycotting the team.
If they do, they cut him.
The city gets enough shit stirring as it is. You're LSD infused scenario would not be any worse than anything else.
Just stop.
I don't see how it's spewing anything. How does Papelbon help this team? All of his numbers scream done. But hey you've been banging the Papelbon drum and it's fine you're entitled to your opinion. I don't want him here because of the fact he just isn't that good. The other stuff is just more of a reason not to bring him in. Just my opinion so let's see what happens.
Because he;s better than Heath Hembree. And Abad. And it doesn't need to be more than that. He's by definition an improvement. He costs nothing financially. He costs no commitment. And he doesn't cost any players since Hembree has options.
What are you not getting about this? Remove the last five games Papelbon pitched for WAS and he's better than more than one of the guys they have in the pen right now. As a reliever, five games means nothing and sorry, you can't just point to his radar gun reading. They don't need a closer. They need a 6th/7th inning man. And he's free, he knows what he's walking into and the team knows what its getting itself into.
And I'm not banging the drum. I;ve state once, maybe twice, that i think they should sign him. I'm banging the drum against your idiotic rationale and citing his Trump support as reason not to bring him in. And also your pathetic fence sitting on dominance level and political lean.
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He had a 2.56 three weeks ago. He hasn't become a completely ineffective pitcher in that span. He got torched in one game for 4 runs, his third summer day pitching in a row. Taking out just that one game lowers his ERA almost a full point. Hard to buy that he's not better than at least a few guys out there.
He's good friends with Pedroia, respects Farrell and knows Boston. The players have said they want him. I think it's crazy not to be excited about the thought of a (somewhat diminished) Papelbon coming out of the bullpen to Shipping Up to Boston again.
People wanted a shake up on this listless team, right?
He's good friends with Pedroia, respects Farrell and knows Boston. The players have said they want him. I think it's crazy not to be excited about the thought of a (somewhat diminished) Papelbon coming out of the bullpen to Shipping Up to Boston again.
People wanted a shake up on this listless team, right?
Listless team? WTF?
This team has issues, mostly bullpen related, but it ain't listless.
Look some of us are sick of the protestors in front of Fenway because of player's politics, is that OK?
I mean MLB, like the NFL, is scripted obviously but still, it is a distraction.
(In all sincerity, I agree the risk is low, but it isn't non-existent. The Cubs can bring him in and see if he's hit a wall or is more the guy he's been the last week plus without sweating the 2-3 or 4 losses, but we don't really have that luxury. I'd still do it, but him crapping the bed while you try him out can cost a few games the Sox can't really afford)
I want the Red Sox to pursue him. But, to be fair, his velocity is down, his walk rate is higher, his K/BB percentage as bad as it has been in years, and he's not inducing a lot of ground balls.
Tha Nats didn't get rid of him because he's been a-hole. They did it because he was by a damn sight the worst option out of their pen. They could have finessed the roster until expansion and didn't even bother with that. He's showing his age.
Now our situation is not the Nats' and that's why I want to give him a shot. But how much of a no-brainer this is -- that's open to reasonable debate.
As for the politics -- it has no place. Please give it a rest people. Unless people are willing to surrender retroactively the bloody sock and everything that came with it.
Thank you Joe McCarthy.
Anyone who believes that a persons political views should disqualify them from a job that is not in politics is just as bad as the "gun toting rednecks. (The only group it's still ok to stereotype and demean, I guess)
In still not sure I want him based on the stuff he showed. I don't think his ERA as of 3 weeks ago was all that indicative of how he's pitched this season. But if Farrell breaks him in properly in low leverage situations then it shouldn't cost them any games. My lack of confidence in Farrell's decision making is this another factor in why I hope he signs with the Cubs.