In a wide-ranging interview with WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Jonathan Papelbon re-asserted his desire to be a closer—stating in his typical "Bud Light case on the head" style, "Cinco don't set-up". Of course, refusing to set-up would seem to eliminate any chance of going to the Evil Ones—since Rivera still has at least one more good year of closing with that mystifying cut fastball.
As Bradford points out, comparing the first six seasons of the two premier closers, Papelbon is actually better than Rivera. Cinco is ten years younger than Mariano, and yet the Red Sox offered the Yankee legend a two-year deal last year. Huh? Seems to me that no matter how frustrating he can be at times, Jonathan Papelbon is worth spending money on to keep in Carmine Hose.