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Jonathan Papelbon reiterates desire to be traded from Phillies
Jonathan Papelbon hopes that next week's All-Star game isn't the last time he takes the field alongside All-Star teammates this season.
On the day he was named to the Midsummer Classic for the sixth time in his career, Papelbon reiterated his desire for a trade from the last-place Philadelphia Phillies before the July 31 trade deadline. As he has been saying for over a year now, he wants to pitch for a team that has a shot to play in October.
From CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury:
“The front office knows where my heart is and where my mind is,” Papelbon said. “And that’s to be with a contending ball club. The ball is in their court, so to speak.”
“I think everybody knows where I’m at. I’ve always been straightforward that I want to go play for a contender and I’m not going to shy away from it. I feel like that’s my right and my prerogative to have that opportunity and, you know, it’s in their hands.”
There are plenty of teams making a playoff push that could use a reliever like Papelbon. Even though the All-Star nod has a lot to do with the fact someone had to be in Cincinnati to represent the Phillies, Papelbon has been pretty darn good on the mound. In 32 2/3 innings, he has a 1.65 ERA and has racked up 34 strikeouts to just seven walks and is a perfect 14-for-14 in save opportunities.
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The difficulty in moving Papelbon has been that Philadelpia is looking for a sizeable return for their closer and for their trade partner to pick up the bulk of his salary. Papelbon is still owed around $6 million for the duration of 2015 and has a vesting option for $13 million that kicks in for 2016 if he finishes 20 more games.
The Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers and Blue Jays have been mentioned as possible landing spots for the 34-year-old right-hander.
If Papelbon gets his wish and is moved out of Philadelphia sometime in the next month, he'll likely be joining at least a couple of his fellow All-Stars for games that really count down the stretch.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
