What We Learned From the Papelbon Deal

The Red Sox effectively silenced their closer for the near future by giving him a heafty one year deal and avoiding arbitration. Rob Bradford of WEEI points out:

"The deal is the largest given to any first-year arbitration eligible pitcher, and is the third-highest agreed to by any first-year arbitration eligible player...What this shows is that the Red Sox have been listening to, recognizing, and agreeing to much of what Papelbon and his agents, the Levinsons, have been saying."

Papelbon wants to be the highest paid closer in baseball and wants to change the pay scale for closers. The recent contract shows that he may get what he wants but he now has the pressure to be the best closer in baseball this season if he wants to get the money he thinks he deserves.