juin
Papelbon is a bold believer
By Gordon Edes, Yahoo! Sports
AP source
BOSTON – There’s a thin metal case in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse, marked with strips of tape identifying it as “Cinco Ocho’s Casino.”
It’s a portable poker table, and it belongs to No. 58 on the Red Sox roster, closer Jonathan Papelbon(notes).
Gambling man?
Look at it this way: In December, the Red Sox signed their young second baseman and newly elected American League MVP, Dustin Pedroia(notes), to a six-year, $40.5 million deal. A month later, they signed emerging slugger Kevin Youkilis(notes) to a four-year, $41.125 million deal. Spring training arrived and the Red Sox tried to broker a two-year deal with Papelbon, who was coming off a career-best 41 saves in 2008.
Papelbon left the money on the table. The offer was just south of $15 million, the number Papelbon was believed to be seeking. For a couple hundred grand shy of his goal, Papelbon sacrificed millions and the security of a multiyear deal, undoubtedly to the irritation of his employers, and instead took another one-year deal, for $6.25 million.
“I ixnayed their offer,” Papelbon said Wednesday night after notching his 15th save in a 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees that put the Red Sox in first place in the AL East.
