MLB Rumors: Blue Jays Interested in Jonathan Papelbon?

The Blue Jays and Phillies continue to talk about a potential Jonathan Papelbon trade, reports MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki. With Casey Janssen no longer under contract, Papelbon could fill Toronto's need for a high-leverage reliever. 

Papelbon, 34, is scheduled to make $13 million in 2015. A $13 million vesting option for 2016 could seemingly complicate things, as the option will vest if Papelbon finishes 48 games in 2015. As per Cot's Baseball Contracts, Papelbon may block trades to 17 clubs.

Jonathan Papelbon posted a 2.04 ERA in 2014, while recording 39 saves. The more advanced stats were also quite kind to him, as he was credited with a 2.53 FIP and 3.50 xFIP. Though his xFIP is quite a bit higher, Papelbon has outperformed his xFIP over the course of his career. His ability to limit home runs could be a strong fit in the home run friendly Rogers Centre.

My personal take is that this could be worth keeping an eye on. Papelbon has been worth 1+ WAR for nine consecutive seasons and probably represents more of a sure thing than the other remaining options. The Phillies may have the financial capability to eat a substantial amount of the remaining salary, while the Jays could give up additional prospects to compensate.The Blue Jays and Phillies are familiar trade partners, as the Jays have acquired Erik Kratz and John Mayberry in recent years.