Red Sox Diaries

“I’m Shipping up to Boston” is playing on the speakers. The fist pumps and screaming follow with emphatic high fives coming after.

In Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox have the best show in all of baseball, if not the best closer as well. The excitement he brings to the yard each time he comes in to close a game out might be matched only by a Big Papi home run in extra frames. He’s about as sure a thing as you can get (the Cubs losing in the playoffs might be the only other comparison).

One of the most electrifying players in recent baseball memory is about to enter his prime at age 28. His contract of one year for $6.25 million with incentives is a lot less than what Francisco Rodriguez will receive in his last year of service for the Mets (a cool 17.5 million). For the next two years, Papelbon will be under salary arbitration, which means he will most likely stay with the Red Sox until his time for free agency comes. But at that point, it’s very safe to say, he will consider if not actually test the free agent market. The economic recession will have eased (God-willing) meaning a more lucrative seller’s market. Papelbon is among the top closers in the league, the same league in which almost half of each division doesn’t have a bonafide closer. Unfortunately for Sox fans, it is a very likely scenario that Paps will take off to the highest bidder.

Now that is unfortunate to say the least. But much like always, there is a contingency plan. Daniel Bard, starter turned reliever, was called up three days ago to take Javier Lopez’s place. (This move makes me giddy. Find out why, here.) Bard was drafted in the first round as a starting pitcher, but after struggling at the lowest levels, posting an ERA of 7.02 and a BB/9 of 9.04, Boston hierarchy shifted him to the ‘pen. It paid off at the tune of 1.44 ERA in 93 2/3 innings pitched from ’08 to the start of ’09 spending time between AA and A in ’08 and AAA this year. In ’08 he had a ridiculous FIP of 1.34 at A before becoming a little more human at AA with a FIP of 3.16. And though ’09 only offers a small sample, good things can only be seen in his AAA FIP of 2.33. (For those who missed it, here’s an explanation of FIP.)

At five years younger than Papelbon, he gives them a legitimate late-inning option and an apparent heir to the closer position. The flamethrower sits high-90s with triple digits on occasion. He mixes it well with a sharp slider in the low 80s and a bigger, dipping slider in the high 70s.

Where does this leave Boston management and fans? With a lot lower blood pressure. For now, the back end finally seems to steady with a bridge to the Irish Jig. For later, well, 101 MPH is pretty damn good.

--Orangeandblack6