Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies likely to retain closers – MLB Update
The St. Louis Cardinals showed their bull-pen depth in the postseason, setting a benchmark for other teams. While the Redbirds will now spend time in enjoying their first World Series win since 2006 and the 11th in franchise history, other teams
will scratch their heads on how to strengthen their bull-pens.
The Philadelphia Phillies were renowned for their pitching might, but faltered as early as the National League Division Series. St. Louis Cardinals’ ace Chris Carpenter outpitched counterpart Roy Halladay in Game 5 of the NLDS, shutting out the Phillies
with a three-hit complete game effort in what was widely termed as a historical matchup.
It was for the very first time that questions were raised on the depth of Philadelphia’s bull-pen. With free agency looming for Ryan Madson, it is highly anticipated that the Phillies will keep him among their ranks. Aiming to keep consistency in the team,
the management believes that Madson will be the perfect choice to close games for the 2008 World Champions on a regular basis.
Boston Red Sox came under a lot of criticism for failing to make it the postseason after leading the American League East division for almost the entire season. The team lost focus towards the end of the season and then dropped its lead in the Wild Card
standings on the last day of the season, allowing Tampa Bay Rays to enter the playoffs via the AL Wild Card.
It was later revealed that players were involved in drinking during games and paid little heed to what the manager had to say. Although only starters not playing on the day were reportedly involved, it gave a rough idea to what the environment in the dugout
was during the game.
In a bid to restore normalcy, the management is content to re-sign stars like David Ortiz and Papelbon, both of whom are now free agents.
Papelbon will be beneficial for the Red Sox as the amount involved to sign him will not be significant and he will not have problems signing a one-year contract. The player has expressed his desire as well on playing for Boston, but nothing can be confirmed
until the deal is signed.
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