Good deal...Pap rules

I don't think it's appropriate to keep shoving it in the face of people how much those overpaid athletes make, this is a time of severe recession and massive layoffs, I really hope those "professionals" contribute something useful to society besides lavish parties and tax evasion.

It's a record for a FIRST-year arbitration-eligible reliever.

WOW!
There must be other language in that contract....like...when to shut up!

What a jump in salary! It pays to teach your kids the game of baseball.

"I don't think it's appropriate to keep shoving it in the face of people how much those overpaid athletes make, this is a time of severe recession and massive layoffs, I really hope those "professionals" contribute something useful to society besides lavish parties and tax evasion."

And I suppose you have proof he holds lavish parties and evades his taxes...

So I should teach my kids baseball so they'll get rich? Maybe they'll just enjoy playing the game. I hope you're not a baseball coach, rickb101.

How interresting that the Sawx (and maybe by his choice, Papelbon) signed a ONE year deal. Makes one wonder if Pap isn't eyeing the expiring career of NY's Mariano Rivera and thinking about taking over in the Bronx as the the Great Mariano takes his final bow.

At the very least, it is going to be excellent leverage for the excellent hurler.

These guys aren't overpaid at all. When you're the best in the world at something, you make this kind of money. The most talented artists, actors, businesspeople, etc. all demand this kind of money... as long as they perform and deliver results. Its a market economy. And as for their usefulness to society.. their successes and failures entertain millions and employ thousands (team staff, sportswriters, equipment industry factory workers, etc.). I say good for Papelbon. His years of hard work and practice has elevated his game to be among the best in the world, he's being compensated/rewarded for it and I'm happy to contribute by spending my money for a Sox cap, getting NESN and watching him all summer. Its some of the most enjoyable entertainment I, and millions of others, can buy. I'd call that a pretty useful contribution.

Bobby Jenks just got 5.5 so it isn't that big of a deal...

Whoosh! (a sigh of releif!)

Dear No-playoffs_this_year,

I am sure that the Red Sox would be glad to hire you or any other whiner if you could do Pap's job for less money. Do not forget to check redsox.com to learn when they have the open auditions for the closer job and make sure to get in line early :)

Theo has avoided arbitration? What about Tek? I realize that Jason declined arbitration, but his situation means that you need a lot of spin to accept "never."

I guarantee there will be a time when Redsox fans turn on this Jerk.

The Sox have reinvested Manny's salary in some great young players, I think that's a good move and simply supports thier stated goal of building from within. Glad to see they are walking the walk. That said, I wonder how these young guys will react now that they join the ranks of wealthy ballplayers. I hope we don't see a letdown in intensity.

No_Playoffs, this is entertainment money. Do you complain about how much money TV and movie stars get?

I really hope the Sox develop a good closer in the next two years so he can be traded for some real value. I am not convinced that he will remain dominant with that shoulder of his and his inability to throw more than fastballs.

Ah, #2 - No_Playoffs_This_Year...and what useful thing are you contributing to Society? Shovel your neighbour's walk? Volunteer as a Big Brother/Siser? Visit sick kids in the hospital on weekends? Give free self-defense classes to those who can't afford to pay for them? If you do nothing to contribute to society, you are in no position to throw rocks at others. The only difference between lavish parties and sitting at home watching TV is the amount of money it takes to do either one.
I took a voluntary pay cut last year and lost nearly 5,000.00 in salary. Yet I still teach free self defense classes, art lessons, and volunteer for the neighbourhood watch.

Character makes the man (or woman), not money.

Congrats to Pap. Way to bring home the bacon!!

"I don't think it's appropriate to keep shoving it in the face of people how much those overpaid athletes make, this is a time of severe recession and massive layoffs, I really hope those "professionals" contribute something useful to society besides lavish parties and tax evasion."

It's market value for their services, whether you like it or not. They happen to be employees of a company that still makes money. If you could do the same things as these athletes, you'd be making that money, too.

Saying they need to contribute something useful to society is an unfair burden to put on athletes or anyone who makes that much money. If you make 75K a year, is it fair for the person who makes 25K to the same thing to you? No. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great when these guys give back to the community and are good role models, but they don't have to be, they just have to be good employees (in this case, players).

Before you start using the "I pay their salary" argument because you buy tickets, just stop. If you don't want to contribute to the market value of the Red Sox, don't go to games. Don't buy hats or shirts. That's your choice.

Don't like it? Don't watch it, read it, participate in it.
You ever turn down a raise at work because your social conscience got the better of you?

What's the average life span of a major league athlete? Earn it while you can. Earn it while it's available. Is it right? Not for me to decide.

Good job Paps. Go out and have a helluva year.

Very reasonable deal for the sox, and don't blame pap for wanting market value for his hard work. Very good deal for the sox, shows pap isn't a money grubbing sob too. He couldve gotten much more.

Reasonable deal for both sides. Well done.

No_Playoffs_This_Year

Will you just stop with all that crap! You can't compare "regular" people to people who have extreme talent. Those with a great talent will ALWAYS make more money than everybody else. Doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, actors, musicians. They will all always make more money than a ditch digger. Get over it. If you don't like it don't watch tv, go to the movies, buy CD's, go to a baseball game, whatever. Just stay at home and read...maybe you'll actually learn something.

Good...random question for the ether...so, I spent too much of this weekend watching the Red Sox 2007 World Series run on the MLB netword and the stupid Fox announcers kept talking about Okajima having a 2 year deal, and at that point he had done the 2007 season (one year) now he has done the 2008 season (year two), does that mean he no longer has a deal with the Red Sox? Or does his deal actually not end until the end of the actual two year mark, so like March if memory serves. I want him around even if it is just seventh inning and only clean innings. And I doubt want him like to overstay is work visa or whatever.

@Dave Farrell; Yes, it specifies "When to shut up" as "Following your win of the 2009 World Series."

$1 million in base salary and $4 million in incentive to NOT do any more of that ugly dancing.

Pap definitely earned his money. Hopefully within the next year or so Theo can secure a deal with him for a 3-4 year contract. By giving him a record for a first-year arbitration-eligible relief pitcher it is a move of good faith to him and should keep the communication lines between agent and gm open and willing to strike a deal that is good for both parties.

Look at those stats! Mariano who????!!!

He's worth it, and he tok the short money until he proved it. Good deal Theo.

That picture of Papelbon saying "one more" was after finishing Game 6 against the Rays. We had Jon Lester on the mound for Game 7 and all that after the improbable comeback in Game 5, at that moment i really thought we will have another trip to the world series.... Anyway i love Pap I hope he plays his entire career with the Red Sox

If anyone deserves the raise, it's Papelbon. Sure, he gets diarrhea of the mouth, but the results speak for themselves.

i says they hit the club, chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool and all shootin' some b-ball outside of da skool, then paps "accidentally" shoots himself in the leg, and javier hides the gun. that'll learn him to drag his feet on a longterm contract, you hee-hooeing third tier plaxico you... (i've determined, after long and thorough consideration and given the applicable circumstances, that the word plaxico may effectively be utilized as a noun in specific cases).

Mike Galvin, he took the money he had no choice but to take. This is the first year he we eligible for arbitration, meaning he had no right to renegotiate his previous years amounts, which, if you'll remember, he tried to via the media last year by whining about the "system". The same "system" that guaranteed him millions as a college kid before he'd thrown his first pitch.

Great news! The underlining theme here is the Sox are showing their young players that if they perform, work hard, succeed and are winners - they WILL be rewarded. Pedroia, Youk, and now Pap - great moves by the Sox. I like the idea of keeping your core group of players happy and keeping the key contributors together. Besides, they don't have to deal with maggots like Borass either. I bet the young prospects like seeing these signings too.

Great stat on Papelbon. And it doesn't even take into account his 0.00 ERA in 25 postseason innings. Say what you want about the guy, but he has been dealing.

Bard with his 100 mph fastball will be groomed as Paps replacement.Pap does not have the Boston character issues down .He is a loose canon.Will not be signed at end of free agency because he is too selfish by talking about it now.

Pap's been great and well worth the money. I'd love to have him around for a long time, so let's all just hope that his shoulder holds up over the long-haul.

Gond36, you just never have anything good to say. The guy was standing on the mound when the Red Sox won the world series. He would have to go far beyond what Keith Foulke did to get the Sox fans to turn on him. Plus, the guys gonna be in a Sox uniform, dominating, for at least the next 3 years, so lets enjoy it while we can eh??

TO person who said we will turn on this jerk!!! Im getting sick and tried listening to red sox fans ( not sure if i should use word fan there ) who are beginning to sound like a good old yankee fan turn on the team or player whenever they fail to deliver

Stop moaning and bitching and either support team or jump on the yankee band wagon im sick of it

Kate, as for Okajima: he signed a 2 year deal, with an option for a 3rd year. The option was used and Okajima will still be on the Sox for 2009.

However Im not sure if Okajima gets 3 years of arbitration too like most young players because he was signed from Japan. Ive simply never seen that situation yet so maybe somebody else knows this. So hopefully we have Okajima for 4 more years!

Kate, as for Okajima: he signed a 2 year deal, with an option for a 3rd year. The option was used and Okajima will still be on the Sox for 2009.

However Im not sure if Okajima gets 3 years of arbitration too like most young players because he was signed from Japan. Ive simply never seen that situation yet so maybe somebody else knows this. So hopefully we have Okajima for 4 more years!

Another good job by Theo first he signed both Paps and Lopez and then in a move of necessity he traded Aardsma to Seattle for a young Lefty who was a Starting pitcher at low A,4-3 in 11 starts with a 4.04 era and 67 k's in 53 innings..The key is that he is a Lefty!!

I'm glad to see Pap signed. He's an awesome closer and he deserves it. I really enjoy watching his intensity on the mound.

Love the signing of Lopez - he quietly had a great year. Great offseason signings by Theo this year - low risk and high reward. Paps is a no brainer. Yeah, he's kinda cocky . . . get in line with the rest. I do think he should remember how much the RS invested in him and should credit THEM with the rebuilding of that shoulder and the micro-muscle strengthening regimen they put into place.

Love the signing of Lopez - he quietly had a great year. Great offseason signings by Theo this year - low risk and high reward. Paps is a no brainer. Yeah, he's kinda cocky . . . get in line with the rest. I do think he should remember how much the RS invested in him and should credit THEM with the rebuilding of that shoulder and the micro-muscle strengthening regimen they put into place.

He's a jerk and you will turn on him.

Great move Theo...a 1 year deal ??

Cool..That will line him up perfectly to be on the Yankees next year.

What a buffoon.

Finally, some good news, today. I HOPE to see Paps in a Sox uniform for years to come; I FEAR he might have left the team.

Congrats to both Pap and Javy!! Both had good seasons in 2008.

Yawn. I wanted Teixeira.

Young immature loudmouth with $6.25 million is a recipe for disaster. A.J. Burnett of Marlins era lived apart from team in W Palm Beach which is 70 miles from the ballpark. He liked to play his guitar which he could have done living nearer park. He was always injured or unable to pitch but when the last year of his contract arrived he would have an instant recovery. Now if Paps had a long contract I could foresee him going into a similar retirement as he does have a serious attitude problem with a chip on his shoulder against management.

pep is a young guy he has long way to go I hope sox could sign long term with him

Kate, Mark is correct. Okajima had a 1.75M 3rd year option (automatic for 115 apperances) , Okajima played in 130 games during the original 2 years, so the Sox announced it, I believe, in September and he would be a free agent next year. He was an unrestricted free agent when he left Japan and signed with Boston in Nov 2006.

Remember that 0 and 2 bomb Pap gave up to ARod because he (and Tek) just had to go for the "dramatic K" instead of wasting a pitch? He won't get more than one year at a time deals. Too hopped up and goofy.

unbelievable how so many peeps here are turning on "no playoffs this year"'s basic comment, which is absolutely relevant to both our current social mess and baseball's languid descent into mindless corporatism. for decades sox fans hated on the yankees over payroll and, while it is not necessarily the same thing (as pointing out a player's salary) there definitely is something rather unerving about the constant mention of multi-million dollar salaries uttered as obsessively as they are today. here in new york we have a little prince named stephon marbury, who is in essence being payed $21 million to NOT play basketball for the remainder of the season. and/or, you guys see that anquin bolder or whatever-his-name-is, shouting at his TEAM's assistant on live television? point is, a lot of this behavior can be traced to the argument "noplayoffs..." makes, perhaps not attributable to paps (not yet at least), but the american athlete has got to accept the fact that, whatever the number before the six zeros, chances are said sum is not reflective of his contribution to society as a whole in terms of the latter's ability to exist, that the world ain't going to stop if they don't collect what they want. look at manny ramirez for god's sake, don't tell me it's about market value when an arrogant, capricious, and quite possibly retarded sob who, but for his ability to hit a baseball would probably be parking cars for a living, compromises the integrity of a multi-billion dollar industry because his ego says it is the number 100, and not 40, which should precede his six zeros. did you watch 'hotstove' on mlb network? a discussion on ryan howard's possible "hurt feelings" over a $1 mil. difference in his asking price and the club's offer? a-rod will retire with one half of one BILLION dollars to his name, and very possibly without a championship, is that worth it, or "right"? no one's dissing paps, but this economy is what it is because half the peeps in this country can't prioritize properly, and the other half feels offended by the suggestion of properly prioritizing in the first place, as if a god given right of theirs were threatened. baseball is fun to watch but you know what, the more i do (at a professional level) the more i wonder whether i should just head the heck to pawtucket on weekends.

Paplebon deserves to be paid like a top closer. But, it reflects poorly on him if he whines about making ONLY $700,000+ for one season before getting a raise. He has every right to get as much as he can from the Sox. He needs to remember he's already making more than most people who root for him.