sportsjabber.net

As if the Philadelphia Phillies didn’t already have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, they added Jonathan Papelbon to the mix Friday afternoon.

The two sides came to an agreement with the former Boston Red Sox closer reportedly worth somewhere in the ballpark of $50 million over the next four seasons. Since he was a Type A free agent, the Boston Red Sox will receive a first-round pick from the Phillies as compensation. Considering the vesting option which the contract apparently includes, Papelbon could make more than $60 million, which would be the biggest package deal ever signed by a reliever. Bigger than the $47 million, five-year contract the Toronto Blue Jays handed B.J. Ryan in 2005, this agreement even eclipses Mariano Rivera’s $15 million a season, currently ranking as the no. 1 all time ridiculous amount of money given to a closer.

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