The deal is awful. Terrible. The Brewers want to trade the Phillies their overpriced, injury-prone reliever who did not even close for them last season and get in return someone who, while sometimes is a pain, is one of the top closers in the game of baseball. Spring Training opens on Thursday. The Phillies should just swallow hard and trade Jonathan Papelbon for Jonathan Broxton.
When the news broke the other day that the Milwaukee Brewers were trying to give the Phillies Jonathan Broxton for Jonathan Papelbon, the initial reaction was one of disgust. Many of our Facebook page commenters were opposed to the deal.
Kiel Gaffney was unimpressed for the offer:
I'm not a Ruin Tomorrow fan by any means but I have to agree with his decision on this one. Pap maybe a "cancer" to the team and a total jackass but he is a really good closer and to get a scrub like Broxton back and no prospect would be a total waste.
John Berry agreed:
…no reason to dump [a] top 5 closer just because. he will be traded this year be patient RAJ has actually made very good moves this offseason .
However, Philliedelphia Facebook page commenter Anthony Palestini endorsed the deal:
Should have taken the deal. Use Broxton as the transitional closer till Giles gets the job in 2016 (or even late 2015) and then cut Broxton at year end. Save $4mill this year and $13mill next year.
Should the deal be a straight trade, I agree with Anthony and would endorse the deal.
At this point in the offseason, if Jonathan Papelbon would get a return, they would have gotten it by now. The Phillies are really eager to move towards the future, and one obvious way is to hand the closer job to Kenny Giles. Subtracting Papelbon is such a great benefit to the Phillies in 2015 and beyond.
Broxton may be plenty useful to a team like the Phillies. Broxton has succeeded in the big leagues; Broxton has failed in the big leagues. Broxton has been a closer and he has also served as a setup man, such as last year when he set up for Francisco Rodriguez in Milwaukee. Having a veteran in the bullpen after Papelbon departs is valuable.
Of course, the Brewers would have to be willing to just take Papelbon for Broxton straight. No money should change hands other than the swapping of contracts. If Papelbon requires his option picked up to go to Milwaukee, then the Brewers would have to take care of that. The salary relief could be spent on free agent Yoan Moncada or anyone else that can help the Phillies down the line.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote a few days ago that having all of these veterans in camp would make for an awkward situation. Getting rid of even one would go a long way towards the renewal of the Philadelphia Phillies. If the Phillies have an opportunity to move one, they should take it and just be done with it.
