r/redsox • u/Corn1989 • 2d ago

IMAGE Red Sox first round picks from 2000-2026

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205 Upvotes

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72

u/Scotty1230 2d ago

I don’t know why I thought Barnes was a journeyman reliever who was thrown into the closer role. He had that vibe.

30

u/Corn1989 2d ago

Thought Hansen and bard both would have been closers for the Red Sox

23

u/Scotty1230 2d ago

Bard was pretty great until they said “let’s Joba Chamberlain him.”

2

u/Then-Contract-9520 2d ago

Didn't they try fucking with Papelbon too?

19

u/OrangeKun15 50 2d ago

Other direction. Pap was a starter in his rookie appearances in 2005 and then took over as closer in 06. I don’t remember them trying to reverse that decision though.

10

u/cstar84 2d ago

OP is kinda correct in that they did try making him back into a starter after his legendary 2006 season tho. Gave up on it before the season started tho, thankfully.

8

u/MaineSoxGuy93 15 1d ago

I think it was discussed in the offseason/early spring training and then Papelbon went to Francona and said if it was okay, he wanted to still close.

Francona was delighted since trying to replace a Papelbon in the bullpen would have been much harder.

4

u/whoamdave 2d ago

I randomly had that same thought lately. He was strictly a reliever after those 3 starts in '05.

1

u/joelee__ 1d ago

Accumulating 5 WAR as a closer is wild. If he didn't get shut down in September he probably would have won ROTY over Verlander.

2

u/Scotty1230 2d ago

He was pretty unhittable but did he have other pitches?

1

u/Minute-Marketing7434 1d ago

i dont remember his pitxhes.. seems like that’s something that has changed a lot recently in general. starters. they used to have 3 pitches.. now theyve got about 6. anyways pap was having shoulder subluxation issues.

1

u/Ironbaun-Vermont 1d ago

They wanted to go back to having him start and were actively stretching him out at the start of spring training but then Papelbon went to Francona and told him he wanted to remain closer because he knew he could do it and the team didn’t have a clear alternative.

Similar to the conversation Miller had with the Padres this year. He likes it and wants to keep doing it.

1

u/Corn1989 2d ago

Yep! Once he went into the rotation he had lost control and had the yips

1

u/OrlandoMB 1d ago

Yup. He had electric stuff. His change-up would get clocked around 89. And then they broke him….