Damnit!

While I was trolling around this vast series of tubes we call the Interweb, looking for some interesting baseball tidbit to write about, I came across this throughly depressing quotation from Red Sox postseason hero, Jonathan Papelbon. From my understanding Papelbon wants a big contract extension even though he has a couple more years on his current contract. If you want to get really cynical it basically seems like he's pulling a "T.O." Granted, I'm sure he won't let it be a distraction and will go out and do his job unlike Owens.


I usually side with the players on these types of matters but I am 100% opposed to giving Papelbon an extension before this season. There aren't enough words to describe how well he has played over the last two years but I still think giving him a rich contract extension based on only one good, full year of work (in 2006 he got shut down at the end of the season because of some sort of arm trouble/fatigue) is a fool-hardy idea. Baseball closers have an incredibly high turnover rate, it's probably close to 50% from year to year, and based on how some closers have either just completely lose it (remember when Derek Lowe was a lights out closer?) and others have had catastrophic arm problems (how about Robb Nen?) I don't think giving a relatively inexperienced closer a ton of money when he is under contract for less than $500,000 makes sense. However, if he goes out and saves 40 games with a sub 2.50 ERA this year then I say give him whatever he wants. Its just I need one more good year before I'm ready to permanently give Paps elite closer status.