Huston Street's new contract, Jonathan Papelbon's current one
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Huston Street's new contract, Jonathan Papelbon's current one
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Huston Street signed a two-year, $14 million contract extension today, the latest closer deal that will be dwarfed by the four-year, $50 million contract that the Phillies signed Jonathan Papelbon to this season. We'll never know how the market would have ended up valuing Papelbon had the Phillies been less aggressive in their pursuit of him, but it is interesting to note that the two teams who committed more than two years to a closer this offseason are two of the more disappointing teams in the majors.
The Marlins have already given up on 2012, and they are in that position thanks in part to the struggles of Heath Bell, who has a 5.75 ERA and six blown saves in 25 opportunities after signing a three-year, $27 million deal over the offseason. Papelbon, conversely, has been the pitcher the Phillies expected, converting 22-of-25 save opportunities with a 3.29 ERA in 41 innings. Yet even with the production they expected out of their closer, the Phillies are 11 games under .500 and, for all intents and purposes, out of the National League playoff picture. Which suggests that there might have been a wiser way to spend the money they dedicated to Papelbon. An elite closer is a luxury, not a necessity. If you already have a nice house and have money left over, go ahead and add the swimming pool. But if you have water pouring into the attic, then you are probably better off spending the 10 grand on a new roof.
Just like there are other ways to cool off, there are other ways to handle the ninth inning then to pay a guy $12.5 million a year over four years to handle it. Street has had significant injury problems over the last few seasons, missing 28 games this season with a right latissimus dorsi strain and 29 in 2011 with groin and arm injuries, and the first three months of 2010 with right shoulder inflammation. When healthy, he has been very good: a 3.12 ERA, 88 percent save rate, and 139 strikeouts against 28 walks in 135 1/3 innings since the start of 2010. Papelbon's numbers during that same stretch: 3.39 ERA, 86.5 percent save rate, 214 strikeouts, 47 walks in 172 1/3 innings.
Is the extra $5.5 million a year and two extra years worth the better health history and higher workload of Papelbon?
HELL NO— tobyjoe- How Murph likes Jimmy's contract after coming very small in this series?— EL Zorro
- Let's remember that RAJ took over a WS champ that was built on offense and power and changed it into a team of pitching and aging vets. If he was GM of any other business he would be out the door and not contemplating if the team is out of the playoffs. It was clear in May that the team was in trouble. Yet, he says that the Braves series was crucial in determining the team's future. It's scary that he will be responsible for correcting this teams many flaws.— butchcat
- A friend of mine is from Boston, he thank me for taking Papelbon off their hands. I though at the time he might be crazy. Now I know what he was talking about. Our problem is Charlie M. I have to belive that some of the players he puts in the line up are his illigment kids.(Mayberry,Pence,Howard, and some of the bullpen) Get rid of Chas and the socalled batting coach. Either he has no idea about hitting or the players are the dumbist in base ball.If you swing the bat you might hit something. Stop guessing and swing!!!!— old SC Frank
- most even said it then....no he is not worth the contract. what a waste.— psualum
- No. There were already signs of decline in Papelbon's performance. If the alternative was Madson, we would have been in deep water without a liferaft anyway. Some times the best intentions fail. I would have signed Madson and Furcal instaed of Pap and Rollins. Then I would have second guessed myself into next week over Madson's injury.— johnny eagle
- Problem is the Phillies thought they HAD a nice house when they put the pool in.— elrey97
- Channeling Ruben last February: I have bet the house on starting pitching, with Halladay, Lee and (hopefully an extended) Hamels. Seeing how great they were in our 102-win 2011 season, the last friggin' thing I would do is turn their 7- or 8-inning starts over to Bastardo-Qualls-Contreres, or a gamble of a closer! No, I get the most reliable free agent closer out there. And, guess what? He's not perfect but he's pretty darn good. LaRussa didn't put him on the NL All Star team for kicks. Say what you want, but Papelbon has been a strength of this team. Has our starting rotation been one? No. Other than Ruiz, no one has impressed, really. So let's got over the closer signing. We can't score, our three aces haven't been nearly as good as in 2011, etc. Come on.— eman
- Murph, I think it was totally worth it, are you crazy? EVERY last place team (with a decrepit, aging roster and no young players or prospects on the way) should have a $12,000,000/yr closer signed for the next 3 years. Duh!— Curlydubs
- As several other readers have stated, hindsight is 20/20.Ruben expected the Phillies to hang at least close to the wild card so a good closer seemed like a good idea.This signing seemed like a slight upgrade over Madison and since Madison went down in spring training, who was arguing?The real topic of your article should be"Did Amaro ignore middle relief pitching issue"— donnie65
- Really Murph? Really? This topic (again) and on this day? The Paps signing was fine in my book. We can't blame Amaro for jumping at him, because afterall, as soon as Madson had his physical (in secret, wink, wink!) and it was found he was damaged, Amaro had to act quickly, lest some other big pockets team sign Paps out from under him. It all had to be done quickly and on the QT, don't you know? The Phils weren't the only team with money. He's done fine. Every closer blows a couple. It's not like he's Heath (half an arm) Bell! And as far as Huston Street's new contract, why is his $7 mil per any better of a deal than Paps' $12.5 mil per? Street as you, yourself said has dealt with a host of injuries over the years! I wouldn't have signed him for more than 5 bucks! He's about 1 pitch away from stealing his last $14 mil!!!!!! Please Murph, I know the players are phoning it in, don't you start doing it, too.........— Mark1npt
- NO closers are NEVER worth the kind of money Amaro signed Pappi for! Have no faith in Amaro's ability to fix this team No mone & no prospects .. sad!!— bill poore
- only,if they can make a BIG TRADE for him, b4 Tues 4:00 pm.Ya certainly dont need a high priced closer, for the remainder of this season
Pence,Pappelbon,Victorino,and Halladay are the guys I would get rid of this week.— flyers11 - Granted papelbon could be having a better yearbut he is not the problem this year the problem is having a manager by the name of Charlie Manuel a pitching coach by the name of rich dubee. They have cost this team 5 times as many games as papelbon. The sad part is they will probably both be with the phils next year and Murphy and the other toadey beat writers will still be singing their praises— gates2012
- To those pinheads congratulating themselves by observing how Murph is 'just getting it' on the Papelbon investment, feel free to check out this piece of his from 9JAN12: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/Grading-the-Phillies-offseason.html. Or this one from 11NOV11: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/Phillies-take-risk-with-Papelbon.html— P2will
