We Need To Talk.
You know I adore you. Really, truly I do. The crazy antics, the dancing, the Bud Light case on your head, the bullpen band, the Scrabble, the goggles, the arguments over spelling, the Friendly’s Scoop segments, the absolute lack of any kind of real filter on what comes out of your mouth and the great sense of clubhouse camaraderie you help engender. And obviously, most of all, the phenomenal lights-out pitching you deliver (especially during last season, and most especially during last year’s postseason). I can’t imagine the Sox bullpen without you- and I am quite serious about that.
But we need to talk.
As much as your lack of a verbal filter entertains me, this is one situation in which you really, really need to just bite your tongue. I have no doubt that you are just venting some frustration, and that most (if not all) ballplayers feel like you do during their contract negotiations…. but: talking about all this money that you “deserve”, and comparing yourself to veteran Mariano Rivera (who is hands-down the best closer to ever play the game), and generally being petulant and whiny? You’ve got to stop.
I’m not saying you’re not worth more than they’re paying you. I’m not even saying you’re wrong for feeling that way. But you have just two years service time – two years! – and that means, unfortunately, that what you are “worth” and what you “deserve” are two very different things.
Fair or not, the major league baseball system basically results in underpaying rookies and new guys for their first two or three years of service… and then basically overpays them from there on out. Yes, that means you have to “suffer” through a couple of years at $400-500K a year, but you’ll be making seven figures from year 4 on forward.
Also, I know you’d like to make the $900,000 Ryan Howard did after his second year – but (a) he won NL Rookie of the Year his first year, (b) he won the National League MVP award in his second year, and (c) he racked up 31 win shares that same second year. You were phenomenal, no doubt about it – but you had 12 win shares to his 31. Your value as a closer who saw 58.3 innings of work is just flat not the same as that of an everyday player and league MVP. You and Ryan Howard are not equivalent for salary purposes– it’s apples and oranges.
One player who is comparable to you: Bobby Jenks. He is a closer at very nearly the same service level, with 65 innings of work last year and 14 win shares. Your ERA and WHIP lines beat him out, but his overall value to his club is higher than yours by about the same margin. He made $450,000 last year, and is quite contented with his raise to $550,000. That’s who you need to be making comparisons to, not Ryan Howard.
And I wouldn’t argue at all if you felt you deserved to make even a little more than Jenks — baseball has (ridiculously) started tying “respect” to salary, and I get that. You’re the reigning World champ, I’d support a $575,000 payday. But you’ve got to stop with the thinking that you’re somehow entitled to a near $1 million dollar paycheck after just two years (one of which saw you shut down with an injury). It’s unrealistic, and if it leads to you getting offended by a half million dollar offer from the club… it could be potentially toxic to your working relationship in the future.
The Red Sox adore you, Boston adores you, the fans adore you – and everyone will totally back your giant payday that will most certainly be your due. But only after you finish up your third year and maintain your health and value. Even though you’re priceless to the fans, that doesn’t mean you “deserve” a million dollar salary at this moment.
And I say that with nothing but love.
My exact sentiments, TG. I just finished posting almost the exact same thing at Cursed to First, even. You just said it a lot better than I did. :)
Uh, yes and … yes. Honestly, this is one of those situations where a player you really like is being dumb and you just wanna be like, “Shut up, shut UP, SHUT UP!” I was trying to figure out if I could even stand to post about this, but all I wanted to do was post a picture of Paps with a caption that read “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.” So maybe I’ll leave it to the more articulate.
You wrote exactly what I’ve been thinking. I didn’t want to believe it…but this is just been grating against me. Why Paps? Why? Much love and all that, but still…less ego, more pitching please.
Can’t agree enough. Punks need to learn their place. Yes, I am using the word ‘punk’ as a term of endearment.
I just want him to keep it private. Very classless, this talking about it.
I am also more than slightly miffed at anyone who actually complains about making six figures, or only getting a six-figure raise.
Paps should be thrilled to learn that the value of the ring he is getting is approximately the value of an entire year’s salary for me. This is not uncommon, too. I will earn more as I get older, but will never get the kind of payout coming his way. Again, not uncommon. The average baseball fan is willing to tolerate the incredible salaries had by these guys… but it is not just unseemly, but downright rude to the fans to talk about it in these terms. Be patient and wait your damn turn, and more importantly, keep these things to yourself.
Read an interesting analysis by the way: apparently the player’s union has been talking up a bunch about solidarity and standard-setting and all that. Love Paps, of course, but I don’t know that he maybe didn’t get caught up in some of that rhetoric?
Yes!! Thank you.
I wish he would see this.
There’s a fine line between childlike and childish, and someone needs to grow up.
And like all of you, I say that with love.
Completely agree. He should consider his $300K World Series share his “raise” and shut up. He will get his huge payday eventually.
Also, he really needs to learn that just cause the media asks him about something doesn’t mean he needs to talk about, and I really hope some of the vets will knock some sense into him regarding that. Questions about contract negotiations should be handled in the same way as questions about the location of the WS ball…evasively:-P
TG: you summed it up perfectly. I love Paps. it was HIS jersey that I asked for for Christmas (thanks Santa ;-) and can’t wait to wear to a game this year. BUT…this latest from him really bothers me. I know he was *asked* about this, but that doesn’t mean he has to answer the question.
Mikey and Tek…talk to him, will ya?
Wow, TG. Are you inside my head? That’s pretty much exactly what was going through my head when I read every single one of about 200 articles on the subject. Except, of course, yours is far more thought out than my frustrated “LESS. ARROGANCE. MORE. HAPPY.”
He could have just been venting his frustration…Doesn’t make him petty. The thing is, a team with out a closer would be willing to pay a lot for a player like Jonathan. A young player in the bullpen that they can build their team around.
That being said, I do agree that his day will come, he really does need experince…The reward will come with the knowledge.:)
His time will come…I love Paps, I don’t think he’s petty talking about it, but I agree, the media isn’t the best place to do that because there is the chance he could have his words twisted. Lord knows journalists do it frequently.
I don’t think anyone here called him “petty”. I know I certainly didn’t.
Anonymous — I think you’re misunderstanding how the contract system works in MLB. There’s no such thing as another team “paying a lot” for Papelbon – he is under exclusive contract and control of the Red Sox until he is a free agent after SIX YEARS. That means for the next four years, unless the Sox trade him, he is on the team… and no other team can “pay a lot” to acquire him. The free market value for him means nothing – and it won’t mean anything when he hits his arbitration years, either. What other teams would be willing to pay for him only matters when he hits free agency — or if he negotiates a long-term contract that would extend into free agency (so, a contract of 5 years or more).
Meg, love your allusion to his World-Series-ball responses.
Wouldn’t we all have loved him if, without sacrificing a bit of that Big Closer Ego, he said with that sly smile and that glint in his eye, “I know what I’m worth, and we’re workin’ it out.”
TG, actually I know a lot about baseball…Played it my whole life. All I meant is that, if he was on another team, if he was their property, they’d probably be willing to give him what he said he wanted. Now he has to earn it, just like everyone else. That maybe he had heard from somebody else “oh if you were a Dodger, you’d get this” that sort of thing. That’s all I meant by it.
I didn’t say you didn’t know anything baseball. I wouldn’t think you’d be on a baseball site if you didn’t.
But I still disagree completely. Considering no team (other than the Phillies in Ryan Howard’s case) has EVER offered the kind of money Papelbon wants, and certainly to no relief pitcher, I completely disagree that another team would be willing to give him what he wanted. Prince Fielder isn’t getting it. Hell, Cole Hamels – a STARTING pitcher- isn’t getting it. Any baseball team would be insane to give up one of the precious few cost-controlled years, especially for a guy they only get about 60 innings out of.
Yet the Texas Rangers paid A-Rod $256 MILLION to play…So the sad thing is, there are teams out there that would pay it. The Blue Jays would…They are screaming for something to put butts in the seats, a good pitcher will do that. That’s why Halladay has become the city’s poster boy.
I agree that right now Paps, needs to work for what he wants money wise, and his day will come, I completely agree.
You definitely can’t compare what a free agent (or even arbitration-eligible player) gets to what a player with just 2 service years get. That makes no sense. You know what A-Rod got paid for his third year? $442,334. He didn’t sign the Rangers contract until he had already played seven years in the majors. What teams will pay a free agent during his 8th year has no bearing on what teams will pay a cost-controlled player for his 3rd year.
Again, I think you’re misunderstanding what I’m talking about. I said multiple times in my post that Papelbon may be “worth” more money, but that does not mean he “deserves” more money under the current MLB contract system.
Also- feel free to use a commenter name – you don’t have to comment under multiple Anonymous names. We don’t bite! I swear.
not to go against how most people feel, but i think paps wasn’t the only player to complain about money. prince fielder had the same issue. although i agree paps should shut up about it. i think paps just wants security he also mentioned a long term deal which i think was more to me what he’s looking for. either way he’s going to get a raise which is more money than i make.
The thing that I find kinda weird about all this is that Paps certainly isn’t the only guy who has been talking like that this year…Markakis, Hamels and Fielder have all expressed similar sentiments, so I’m wondering if there’s some MLBPA shit going on behind the scenes. They viewed adding that third year before arb-eligibility as a huge compromise, so I can’t help but wonder if they are advising guys who are somewhat exceptional and “deserve” bigger salaries to talk to the media about it in order to pressure the teams into paying them more or something. Doesn’t make a ton of sense, it’s just odd that so many are complaining about the same thing in one year…
Honestly, I think it can all be blamed directly on Ryan Howards $900K payday after last season. That was unheard of before then, and now the flood gates have opened.
I think Pap sounded a little prompted. I smell MLBPA.
Couldn’t agree more with your comments. Mariano Rivera is the bar that all closers must reach and 2 years in is not nearly enough time to ascertain whether or not someone is going to be Mo in 10 years or be watching his Yankeeography in 10 years.
I really don’t care for Papelbon all that much….his attitude and antics really cheese me off, but you guys love him, so enjoy him…..this is one of the few times where I’ve actually looked at the article and said “Oh shut up, you child.” Which is rare.
TG – You’re read our collective minds! What Paps is asking for – in light of when he’s asking, anyway – is unprecedented. And the Mariano Rivera comparison? STOP. Just. Stop. I like Paps, and I’d love to see him have a career that puts him in Rivera’s league. But he’s getting waaaay ahead of himself here.
Agreed. This is the kind of thing you can bitch about to your brother or your dad or your agent, but it’s not really appropriate in the media.
I just am going to go ahead and assume that the next time he’s walking across the clubhouse, somebody will slap him upside the head.
am I the only one getting tired of this guy’s shenanigans? he’s wearing out his media welcome. we get it, you’re the “wild and zany” one on the team. and I agree with Surviving Grady, he’s like the Kramer of the team now…but he needs to take everything down a notch. less is more, Paps…less is more.
No – I’m not tired of him. And I don’t think he needs to shut up. I just think on this one particular issue, trying to influence contract negotiations through the media is completely the wrong tactic. It makes him look greedy and selfish – when I doubt very seriously he is either.
Poor baby just signed for $775,000.
I’m not tired of him. I also feel like the Sox gave him a perfectly fair deal– more than Jenks got, pretty respectable jump.
Theo is not one to be intimidated or bullied or guilted into a contract… I expected the number to be a solid increase, and it was.
TG, I read all of your entrys like every day and I always seem to agree with everything you say. I am a big Paps fan too, but this thing seems really ridiculous. The deal the Red Sox gave him today seems fair, but we better not here any more complaining out of him for a long time.
P.S. The Josh and Jacoby battle thing is really funny.