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Papelbon back as Red Sox's closer


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Red Sox will send Papelbon back to bullpen

ESPN.com news services

The Boston Red Sox didn't have to search long for Mike Timlin's replacement as closer.

Two days after announcing that the 41-year-old Timlin will start the season on the disabled list, multiple team sources told ESPN's Erin Andrews that the Red Sox have decided Jonathan Papelbon has regained the closer's job.

Papelbon had 35 saves and a 0.92 ERA last season as a closer in his rookie year, but a shoulder problem detected late in the season led the team to decide he would move to the starting rotation in 2007.

Because of Papelbon's shoulder issues, there will be restrictions on how he is used: He won't throw when he is tired and he won't appear in more than three games in a row, Andrews reports.

The news comes after manager Terry Francona announced that Timlin, who has been bothered by a strained oblique, will start the season on the DL.

Right-handers Joel Pineiro, Brendan Donnelly and Julian Tavarez were originally being considered to close games in Timlin's absence.

"Those are still the guys we're strongly looking at," Boston pitching coach John Farrell said Wednesday.

In the Boston Herald on Thursday, Papelbon voiced his willingness to return to the bullpen.

"My door is always open to better a ballclub. That's what it boils down to," Papelbon told the Herald when asked if he'd consider a return. "If it betters a ballclub, my door is open, let's talk about it, figure it out. For me, I'm going to do what's best for the team. If they go out and get somebody, or somebody finally steps up, and says, 'Hey, I want this role' ... then we go about our business, and everyone's happy. "If not, then we've got to figure something out," he told the newspaper. "Whether I go back [to the bullpen] or whether I stay starting and wait until the All-Star break, and do something then, we'll have to see. It's not an easy decision."

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Ok. :rolleyes:

The Sox needed a closer. They have too many starters.

Yea...they are loaded

Rotation

1. C. Schilling

2. J. Beckett

3. D. Matsuzaka

4. T. Wakefield

5. J. Lester

6. J. Tavarez

7. K. Snyder

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Yea...they are loaded

Rotation

1. C. Schilling

2. J. Beckett

3. D. Matsuzaka

4. T. Wakefield

5. J. Lester

6. J. Tavarez

7. K. Snyder

I like our situation alot more then the joke of a starting for the Skanks.

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I like our situation alot more then the joke of a starting for the Skanks.

Is that so? Mussina Wang and Pettitte match up fine with boston's top 3 (even though the yankee 3 is better) and after that the yankees are so much better it's laughable.

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This isnt a big surprise. I've been saying it will happen since the talk of "Johnathan Papelbon will start this year" began. Granted, lots of people have been saying that this will happen. When they didnt bring in an established closer, Helen Keller could have seen this was going to happen.

I seriously doubt that you'll see him close 3 days in a row anymore and I really REALLY doubt that he'll be throwing 40+ pitches in one outting anymore.

The medical staff will be all over his shoulder pain/discomfort level. Even the "sky is falling constantly" crowd cannot whine about this move. Its not good...but it had to happen.

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IMO this is the move that makes the Sox a threat. There was no way they were going to go in to the season with that bunch of set up men and/or Pinero to close the door. Theo is smarter than that and it was going to be a trade for a legit closer or Papelbon back to the 'pen.

Schilling-- Pitching angry over the money Dice K got and pitching for a new contract.

Dice K-- If he's even nearly as good as advertised he's a 15 game winner..if he's as good as advertised it's not hard to see him winning 20.

Beckett-- I hope I'm dead wrong but I think last year was an abberation for the guy. He's got the "stuff" to win 20 but needs to clear his head out and learn to "pitch" instead of just throw. IF he can get it together good enough to win 20 IMO.

No team has a rotation with "locked in studs". Every teams rotation has question marks but IMO the Sox top three has the POTENTIAL to be the best in baseball and riddiculously tough to beat in a short series.

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"Beckett-- I hope I'm dead wrong but I think last year was an abberation for the guy. He's got the "stuff" to win 20 but needs to clear his head out and learn to "pitch" instead of just throw. IF he can get it together good enough to win 20 IMO."

The Sawx's season really turns on this guy. If he's the lights-out ace of 2003, they have a shot at the division. If he's .500 or worse or hurt, they won't make the playoffs. The guy has the arm, he's done it in a big spot, but he hasn't really put together a monster season. Was 2003 the abberation, or is he the Tom Seaver clone he was in 2003?

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Is that so? Mussina Wang and Pettitte match up fine with boston's top 3 (even though the yankee 3 is better) and after that the yankees are so much better it's laughable.

How are the Yanks 4 and 5 starters so much better?

Wakefield is a solid starter and Tavarez will hold the rarely needed 5th spot until Lester comes up. Pineiro is the wildcard if he can ever return to form.

Igawa prior to finally having a decent start this week was a 40million dollar AAA candidate and as for Pavano, I don't think I need to go into details. The ONLY saving grace for the Yanks 4-5 starters is that they have a potent offense.

If you were comparing to the Mets staff I would fully agree.

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How are the Yanks 4 and 5 starters so much better?

Wakefield is a solid starter and Tavarez will hold the rarely needed 5th spot until Lester comes up. Pineiro is the wildcard if he can ever return to form.

Igawa prior to finally having a decent start this week was a 40million dollar AAA candidate and as for Pavano, I don't think I need to go into details. The ONLY saving grace for the Yanks 4-5 starters is that they have a potent offense.

If you were comparing to the Mets staff I would fully agree.

Wakefield is far from solid and Tavarez is awful. The yankees on the other had while Igawa is a question mark and pavano is a health issue have about 5 GOOD young pitchers ready to step in for injuries/poor performance unlike boston which has no depth whatsoever..

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I'd still much rather have him (and the 5 pitchers in the minors behind him) then Wakefield or Tavarez.

J. Tavarez bites the bag and is a head case to boot. With good luck The Bosox could have a very workable rotation. Any more bad luck and they're the Cubs of the AL.

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J. Tavarez bites the bag and is a head case to boot. With good luck The Bosox could have a very workable rotation. Any more bad luck and they're the Cubs of the AL.

Wakefield isn't much better and after those 2 guys they have even worse crap.

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I'd still much rather have him (and the 5 pitchers in the minors behind him) then Wakefield or Tavarez.

Well since 2002 Pavano is 40-37 while Wake is 55-45 so how the advantage goes to Pavano is beyond me. The Yanks have shown to date to have ONE pitcher in the minors to possibly be ML ready in Karstens.......Jon Lester would have to be considered every bit as good. Any thoughts of Hughes being ready were dismissed this spring.

Neither teams 4-5 starters are anything to gloat about but saying the Yanks have a laughable advantage is well.........laughable.

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Well since 2002 Pavano is 40-37 while Wake is 55-45 so how the advantage goes to Pavano is beyond me. The Yanks have shown to date to have ONE pitcher in the minors to possibly be ML ready in Karstens.......Jon Lester would have to be considered every bit as good. Any thoughts of Hughes being ready were dismissed this spring.

Neither teams 4-5 starters are anything to gloat about but saying the Yanks have a laughable advantage is well.........laughable.

No it's really not. Are you really using WL records to compare a 40 year old Wakefield with a 31 year old Pavano? Wakefield has been declining every year and if Pavano is healthy he'll pitch MUCH better then Wakefield. As far as the yankees' depth goes.

Karstens was better IN THE MAJORS then Lester was last year, So was Rasner and they are followed by 3 GREAT prospects who will all be ready to be brought up during the season. Hughes never had a chance to make the team because they are limiting his innings. You really think the 2 bad innings in meaningless games that he had mean anything? Come on.

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Rather, I will do you a personal and GPA favor:

thAn-used in comparison

thEn-at that time

I just saved your parents heartbreak and teeth gnashing in having their son flunk English 101.

Hmm thanks typo police... This coming from a guy who thinks that Wins are the most important stat for pitchers. heh.
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Hmm thanks typo police... This coming from a guy who thinks that Wins are the most important stat for pitchers. heh.

Consistently mis-using the word than, in place of then, over and over again is not a typo. It is being ignorant of common English language. Typos are forgiveable. Ignorance isn't. Even worse, is being blindly ignorant and insisiting you are always correct.

Normally, I would not point out a simple minded gaffe of a mindless college boy. But, in your case, I took the effort.

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Consistently mis-using the word than, in place of then, over and over again is not a typo. It is being ignorant of common English language. Typos are forgiveable. Ignorance isn't. Even worse, is being blindly ignorant and insisiting you are always correct.

Normally, I would not point out a simple minded gaffe of a mindless college boy. But, in your case, I took the effort.

Why don't you let me worry about my English skills and argue on the TOPIC of the thread? Is that so hard?

Also I love how in the SAME post that you're giving me crap about typos you misspell forgivable AND insisting LOL. Could you be any more of a hypocrite?

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Wakefield is far from solid and Tavarez is awful. The yankees on the other had while Igawa is a question mark and pavano is a health issue have about 5 GOOD young pitchers ready to step in for injuries/poor performance unlike boston which has no depth whatsoever..

And this performance is based on what? The madmike Blue Book?

I am glad you are ready to annoint Karstens to the Hall based on 8 starts.

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