Philadelphia Phillies Should Consider Trading Jonathan Papelbon

By Drew Jenkins @DrewJenkins77 on October 26, 2014

When the Philadelphia Phillies gave Jonathan Papelbon a four-year, $50 million contract that included a $13 million vesting option prior to the 2013 season, many in the baseball community were shocked. Sure, Papelbon had been among baseball’s best closers, but he was not even throwing 70 innings per season, and you had to wonder if his impact was worth that much money.

Despite that criticism, Papelbon has been a great contributor to the Phillies since signing his deal. In his three seasons with the club, Papelbon has posted a 2.45 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 while also notching 106 saves. Still, Papelbon’s value to the Phillies is limited, and they should consider trading him this offseason.

An expensive closer can be a great addition as the final piece of a team, but to a losing team, they can also be one of the biggest burdens. A closer like Papelbon can be worth a couple of wins per season. In the middle of a playoff race, that can make the difference between winning a division or not, but when a team is out of contention, those extra couple of wins make little difference.

In Papelbon’s three seasons with the Phillies, the team has gone a combined 227-259, good for a .467 winning percentage. In that time, he has been worth 4.0 fWAR and 6.0 bWAR. Had the Phillies been contending, those numbers would have been fine even given his high salary. But given the fact that they have not, Papelbon’s presence has meant little to the Phillies, and that money would have been better allocated elsewhere.

Some recent comments by Phillies interim president Pat Gillick make it seem like the club is resigned to going into rebuilding mode for the next couple of years, and that means that Papelbon’s value will continue to be limited to the team because they are planning on not competing. Thus, it makes plenty of sense for the team to look to trade him.

Papelbon is coming off of his best season with the Phillies, as he posted a 2.04 ERA, an 8.5 K/9 and a 2.0 BB/9. There are many teams that could use a closer of Papelbon’s caliber, and that means he will garner some interest on the trade market.

The problem for the Phillies, however, is that closers are getting valued less and less. Last offseason, no established closer received more than a two-year deal in free agency. Because of this, Papelbon’s salary means that he might not be that desirable in a trade even given his dominance. The Phillies will probably be able to find someone to take on his salary without getting too much in return, but if they are willing to eat some money owed to him then they could probably get a decent prospect in exchange.

Even if his market would be limited given his salary, the Phillies should trade Papelbon, if for no reason other than to get him off of the payroll. An expensive closer is one of the biggest detriments to a non-contending team, and the Phillies would be better of allocating the $13 million owed to Papelbon in 2015 elsewhere, or even just saving it up for a couple of years down the road.

Papelbon has remained one of the better closers in baseball, but he does little to benefit the Phillies, and thus they need to deal him this offseason.

Drew Jenkins is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DrewJenkins77, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.