I’ve been beating the “The Red Sox will non-tender Jonathan Papelbon” drum for a while now. But when you read that kind of stuff, keep one thing in mind: I don’t, surprisingly enough, run the Boston Red Sox. Theo Epstein does, however, and based on some things he said yesterday, Papelbon may very well be back in Boston next year:
Or it could simply be a platitude designed to get him and the team through the last week and a half of the season without having a big controversy erupt.
It’s also worth noting, I think, that having to pay a closer eight figures a year -- which is what Papelbon will get if offered arbitration by the Sox -- complicates things too. Like, really complicates things if you’re trying to add other pieces to a team that could use some new pieces.
Theo knows that too.
