Jonathan Papelbon Signs with Phillies: Why Red Sox Made a Huge Mistake

Going into free agency it seemed like Red Sox GM Ben Cherington was going to be a big player and do his best to retain players and also do some shopping. Apparently Cherington didn't realize how quickly the baseball world works as he has already slipped with the announcement of the Philadelphia Phillies signing former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year, $50 million deal with a vesting option, pending a physical, as reported by Jim Salsbury and Jayson Stark.

Cherington didn't approach Papelbon early enough to really negotiate a new deal. He was regarded as the top relief pitcher on the market, and now, Boston is left virtually closer-less. It was questionable to assume that Cherington even wanted Papelbon back in Boston due to his lack of communication with him over the past few weeks, but Cherington didn't seem to communicate much with any of the Red Sox currently on the market until the last few days.

It will be interesting to see how Cherington approaches the signing of Papelbon since now he desperately needs to find a closer for 2012. Daniel Bard is an option, but he has minimal experience closing, and his struggles last September could be a concern.

Boston could also swap closers and make a deal with former Phillies closer Ryan Madson. Madson has been less successful than Papelbon over the course of their careers, but Madson still has the capability of closing 25-30 games a year.  

There are a number of closers still on the market, but none to the stature of Papelbon. Boston has been tied to Heath Bell in the past, and he could possibly receive an offer. Other notable closers available include Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton and Joe Nathan. 

I think the best option at this point now is to go after Heath Bell. His 43 saves this season and All-Star selection shows that he can get the job done at the end of a game. Another interesting factor is that Bell has the same personality of many of the current Boston players. As we saw in the All-Star Game, Bell has a great sense of humor, much like the one of Dustin Pedroia. Bell will be much cheaper than Papelbon and is a great option for Boston.

Regardless of who gets offered the Red Sox closing job, Ben Cherington needs to wake up and smell the roses. Time is being wasted, and players are making deals with other teams. Before you know it, David Ortiz will be gone without receiving an offer and several free agents will be off the market. If Cherington wants to be a good GM, he needs to start making moves.