G'morning.
Baseball Prospectus has the first part of a very nice interview with Jerry Howarth.
Shi Davidi writes about the decisions the Jays have to make over the off-season. One bit caught my attention:
One theory making the rounds links the Blue Jays to a possible run at Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who is due a big payday in arbitration this year that may be unpalatable to Boston's front office. The lure in Toronto would be reuniting with new manager John Farrell, his pitching coach with the Red Sox.
Oh, please no. Even if you try to forget how loathsome the guy is, it makes no sense to pick him. Take a look at his line from last year:
Compared to Kevin Gregg:
Papelbon made $9.35 million last year, Gregg $2.0 million. The Jays hold options for $4.5 and $4.25 million on Gregg. Papelbon will want twice that.
Add in that he is just as irritating as hell. I guess since Farrell is from the Red Sox we have to suggest that all Red Sox players will be coming along with him. For example, further down Shi's story:
Farrell's Boston ties is also leading to whispers that catcher Jason Varitek might end up with the Blue Jays. All-star John Buck is a Type B free agent and will be one of the most appealing backstops on the market, and it's unclear whether top prospect J.P. Arencibia is ready to handle the full load behind the plate.
But why? We already have a catcher that can't hit (Jose Molina) to back up/share time with J.P., why would we want one that has the added bonus of not being able to throw?
I don't want either of those two and don't really think that the Jays would have any interest in either of them. If we are going to suggest the Jays go after Red Sox players, why no suggest a good one, like Victor Martinez?