The Boston Red Sox need bullpen help — especially in the back end — but it appears Jonathan Papelbon isn’t their man.
Papelbon has been courted by many teams, the Red Sox included, since the Washington Nationals released him on Aug. 13. But the free agent reliever won’t sign with Boston or any other team before midnight Wednesday, a major league source told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.
That means Papelbon won’t be eligible for postseason play, as all players must be on a roster by Sept. 1 in order to pitch in the playoffs.
That Papelbon can’t pitch in the playoffs all but rules out him coming to Boston, as the Red Sox are in the thick of a playoff race and wouldn’t bring him in unless he could contribute in October. And given that Papelbon hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 6, it’s likely the 35-year-old’s 2016 campaign is over.
If Papelbon doesn’t get picked up by an MLB team, he’ll finish the season with an underwhelming 4.37 ERA and 19 saves in 22 chances.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said recently he reached out directly to Papelbon, who spent seven seasons in Boston from 2005 to 2011. At this point, though, it appears the Sox will have to explore other options to shore up their bullpen.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
