With the emergence of reliever Ken Giles, the Philadelphia Phillies may be able to effortlessly part ways with closer Jonathan Papelbon. The team is also likely to be without starting pitcher A.J. Burnett next year as he has hinted at his retirement.
Prior to the trade deadline on July 31, the Phillies were looking to clean house and trade a number of players including Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Marlon Byrd, Jonathan Papelbon, and a few others. The problem was that all of these players are tied to large contracts and teams inquiring about a trade didn't want to give up too much while inheriting a big financial commitment. But now the Phillies can likely trade Papelbon without asking for too much because Ken Giles seems to be ready for the closer position.
Papelbon is owed $39 million through the 2016 season, but his time spent with Philadelphia has further proven that he is worth the money. In two-plus seasons, Papelbon has recorded 96 saves and 196 strikeouts in 183 innings with a 2.31 ERA. At 33 years old he's having one of his best seasons in the major leagues. But as the Phillies look toward rebuilding, they're not going to need to spend $13 million per year on a closer when they have 23-year-old Ken Giles.
The Phillies called up Giles to the majors on June 7 and he has appeared in 27 games this season. In 28.1 innings, Giles has a 1.27 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP with 41 strikeouts. He also hits triple digits on the radar gun and has a tremendous slider. What more do you need from a closer? ESPN's Buster Olney pointed out Giles is putting up Craig Kimbrel numbers so far and the Phillies need not look any further. A number of playoff contenders could use Papelbon in their bullpen, so Philadelphia should try exploring a trade to save themselves some money and get the rebuilding process on with.
Although Papelbon's departure isn't guaranteed, it looks as if A.J. Burnett's is. The 16-year veteran hinted at his retirement on Tuesday night after a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Burnett was asked whether he would return to the Phillies next year and he replied, "Probably not. We'll see," in this ESPN article. The right-hander has a mutual option on the final year of his contract with the Phillies, which happens to be in 2015.
After what appeared to be a resurgent year in 2013 with the Pirates (10-11 with a 3.30 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 191 innings), Burnett has struggled this year and is 6-14 with a 4.42 ERA in 27 starts. His 14 losses are already a career high with just under a month and a half remaining in the season. He won two World Series Championships: one with the Marlins in 2003 and the other with the Yankees in 2009.
