MySportsRumors.com

Red Sox youth: Show me the money!

Written by Paul Raymond in Thursday, May 22nd 2008 under MLB, Red Sox

The New York Yankees young players have told management SHOW ME THE MONEY!! Oh wait a minute, I’m sorry the Boston Red Sox young players have told management SHOW ME THE MONEY! Got caught up there so used to it being the Yankees players wanting money. The Boston Herald reports that Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia have no intentions of following the path of youngsters around the league. That path? Many young budding superstars have been signing very team friendly deals instead of dealing with arbitration, and the first years of free agency.

Papelbon himself wants to bring monetary figures for closers to a whole new level. “I have no problem with pushing the market up,” Papelbon said. “I have no problem with guys holding out for what they’re worth. I have no problem with going year to year.” Paps knows he’s one of the leagues elite closers and he wants Mariano Rivera plus type money. The Red Sox so far have backed that up by making sure he gets paid. This year he was given a $775,000 contract, much less then what he wants, but still more then what Mo had received at that point in his career.

Owners around the league better worry, it sounds like Papelbon and the other closers might band together on making that a high paying position. “If we want to do what guys like Goose Gossage, what guys like Dennis Eckersley and those guys did for our role, we need to stick together,” said Papelbon, who plans on talking with closers in similar positions. Rumors are also abound that Papelbon is going to seek Ryan Howard type money once arbitration comes around.

The interesting aspect about all of this is the Boston Red Sox started the trend of young players signing very long-term deals well before their due. Nomar Garciaparra was the first player to do this. Since then its picked up steam and over the past few months Ryan, Braun and Hanley Ramirez have signed these type of deals. Both of these could have easily broken arbitration records and had big years in free agency. But now they lose out on arbitration and the first year or two of free agency.

The fight should be interesting, Papelbon wants his money, he wants everyone in the league to get theirs. The Red Sox better be ready to cowboy up, cause Papelbon’s going to want a boat load of $$$$.

Here’s the Boston Herald article.