Boston Red Sox: Jonathan Papelbon and 5 Players Who Won't Be Back in 2012

The 2011 season is over for the Boston Red Sox, and now they wait. Jonathan Papelbon is on the list of players who will be leaving Sox Nation behind them in 2012 as they find new teams to get acquainted with.

Some players may leave on their own, but others, such as John Lackey, will be forced out by a trade.

Free agency plays a big role for the Red Sox in 2012, and it is time for them to move on from certain players for the sake of the sanity of the Red Sox clubhouse.

Jonathan Papelbon Becomes Ex-Closer

Jonathan Papelbon will not be the closer for the Red Sox in 2012, and he will surely sign with a team that needs a fiery closer. Some good fits for him would be the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres and maybe even the Baltimore Orioles.

The biggest factor is the money Papelbon wants. He was looking for top-closer money when he blew the final save opportunity in 2011 to a weak Orioles team.

He may be looking for $12 million, but if I was the Red Sox, I would allow him to walk and pay Heath Bell that type of money until Daniel Bard is ready to take over as the closer for this team.

David "Big Papi" Ortiz Signs with the "Evil Empire"

David Ortiz is the greatest clutch-hitter the Boston Red Sox have ever had, and it will be sad to see him go, but he is done with the drama that is related to the Red Sox.

He also knows that the New York Yankees would not put up with the behavior of the pitchers on this squad.

Expect Big Papi to get a two-year, $30-million contract from the Yankees to steal the face of the Red Sox franchise. Ortiz will be cheered when he returns to Fenway Park in April of 2012, and he will never be forgotten.

J.D. Drew Retires

The Boston Red Sox are glad to see J.D. Drew gone after his final two seasons in a Sox uniform were forgettable.

Drew was hurt most of 2011, after being hurt in 2010 as well. He is creeping on old age, and it shows when he takes a third-strike call right down the middle of the plate that he should swing at at least 10 times a week.

He was overpaid by Theo Epstein, but he played well in 2007 and 2008. He was a great fielder but has been injured too many times to be an intricate part of the Sox lineup in 2012.

John Lackey Traded to San Diego Padres

His ERA over 6.00 in 2011 was dreadful and was the worst ERA for a Red Sox pitcher with 120-plus innings pitched.

Not only that, but his off-field issues need to be far away from the Sox dugout. With the allegations of drinking beer and playing video games in the dugout and his recent divorce from his wife who has breast cancer, Lackey is looked down upon as someone on the Red Sox roster who needs to be booted out.

Maybe once he is gone, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester can stop the drinking, seeing as how Lackey was the depressed one out of the group. Sure, the source said Beckett initiated the drinking, but I don't believe that one bit.

Erik Bedard Returns to Seattle

With a 1-2 record and a 4.03 ERA with the Red Sox, Erik Bedard would be a viable candidate to not make this list. However, I see that Bedard could be a valuable asset to the Seattle Mariners as a No. 2 guy to Felix Hernandez.

Sure, Bedard lived up to expectations by getting hurt in the beginning of September after a big win over the Texas Rangers. He made two starts late in September, and in both starts, he did not go more than 3.1 innings.

Bedard cannot stay healthy down the stretch, and the Sox need a fourth or fifth guy who can stay in their spot the entire season.