Most of us in FenwayNation still believe it was a mistake for the Red Sox to have allowed Jonathan Papelbon to walk. Nonetheless, Boston's ex-closer was, at best, disingenuous with reporters as he arrived at the plush, but not overly ostentatious, Philadelphia International Airport. As the
Globe's Peter Abraham and others have pointed out, Paplebon was one of the honest brokers during the BlackSeptember collapse. And, he was always upfront about "setting the market" for closers by getting the biggest payday possible in free agency. So, how does he justify the following drivel?:
Reporter: What does it mean to you that the Phillies are going to make you the richest reliever in all of baseball?
Papelbon: That doesn't really play a role. The biggest thing that plays a role is the ability to come here and win.
Come on, Cinco Ocho!