The clock is officially ticking on Jonathan Papelbon‘s time as closer in a Boston Red Sox uniform.
If the Red Sox don’t trade Papelbon this offseason, he will certainly be on a short leash during the season in Boston. And if the Red Sox trade Papelbon or have him on a short leash during the season, GM Theo Epstein is doing everything he can to prepare for either situation.
On Thursday, the Red Sox signed former Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks to a two-year, $12 million contract. Jenks was non-tendered earlier this winter by the White Sox.
I wrote back in my “Non-Tender Roundup” that Jenks could be a fit with the Red Sox and dog-gonnit he is. Whether or not Papelbon is in a Boston uniform at the start of the 2011 season, Jenks should help the Red Sox bullpen in any role he is in next season.
Outside of Daniel Bard, the Red Sox bullpen took a major step back in 2010. Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez were so bad, they were shipped out of town during the season. Hideki Okajima no longer was Mr. Reliable. And Papelbon became a one-pitch pitcher and that one pitch was very hittable.
Despite having a 4.44 ERA, Jenks had the second highest K/9 ratio of his career with a 10.4 mark and had the second highest Groundball Percentage of his career (58.3) in 2010. A very high BABIP (.368) could potentially explain the high ERA.
Jenks also saw an increase in velocity in 2010. He was hitting 95 again on his fastball.
If Papelbon sticks around, Jenks will find himself pitching in the seventh or eighth inning in 2011. If Papelbon is traded, Jenks could very well find himself closing out games at Fenway. I don’t believe the Red Sox feel Bard is ready to close game quite just yet.
In other Red Sox bullpen news, they brought back both LHP Andrew Miller and LHP Rich Hill with the hopes that one of them can figure out how to get left-handed batters out in 2011. Unless one of these reclamation projects steps up, left-handed reliever figures to be a weakness for the Red Sox next season.
The Red Sox have made a lot of big time moves this offseason. And now with the addition of Jenks, Miller and Hill, they are hoping to turn their weak bullpen of 2010 into a strength in 2011.
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