It’s no secret the Boston Red Sox are considering signing old friend Jonathan Papelbon.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged over the weekend that a Boston reunion was “worth investigating,” and manager John Farrell confirmed Tuesday on MLB Network Radio that the club has had internal discussions about bringing back Papelbon, who currently is a free agent after being released by the Washington Nationals.
“We’ve talked about it. I think there’s some real strong points to Pap that could be an addition here,” Farrell said. “Whether or not that takes place, that remains to be seen, but we’ll see how that unfolds.”
Papelbon spent his first seven seasons with the Red Sox before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2011 campaign. His tenure in the City of Brotherly Love, which lasted three-plus seasons, was rather tumultuous despite his on-field success.
Philadelphia shipped Papelbon to Washington last season before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. The Nats cut ties with the veteran reliever Saturday, as they acquired All-Star closer Mark Melancon from the Pittsburgh Pirates before this year’s deadline and no longer needed Papelbon, who had been struggling since landing in the nation’s capital.
Papelbon is having a disappointing season, positing a 4.37 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in 35 innings over 37 appearances. He’s a six-time All-Star who’s been one of the league’s best closers over the last decade-plus, though. It’s not surprising the Red Sox are at least kicking around the idea of adding him to their bullpen, which could use some additional depth down the stretch.
WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported Tuesday, citing a source with knowledge of Papelbon’s thinking, that the 35-year-old old reliever is drawing “strong interest” from across MLB and is expected to choose a new team within the next 24 hours.
Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images
