Jonathan Papelbon trade to Brewers still possible?

Jonathan Papelbon will remain the subject of MLB Trade Rumors between now and the start of the season, with a possible deal sending him to the Brewers still alive.

Unlikely though it feels at this point, Jonathan Papelbon might still be traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Milwaukee Brewers.

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On the surface and before one delves into the nitty gritty details, the match with these two teams is obvious. The Brewers seem in constant search of bullpen help, and with Francisco Rodriguez gone in free agency, the back of their bullpen is an obvious concern. Getting Papelbon would get them the lockdown closer that they have been so sorely lacking for the last number of seasons.

As for the Phillies, it’s not just the $13 million this season and the $13 million option that will likely hit for 2016 that have them motivated to trade their mercurial closer. The relationship between Papelbon and the team has been slowly deteriorating over the last 12 months or so.

When you have public criticism, locker room disputes, and suspensions for crotch grabs, that is bound to have a strain on any relationship, you know?

Talks heated up this week that Papelbon might be headed to the Brewers. They faded, however, as the money left on the closer’s deal threw up a barrier. Even though it has lost momentum, Nick Cafardo reports that a deal is still possible between the Phillies and Brewers, with one major hangup.

"The Phillies and Brewers were trying really hard to find a way to fund the potential $13 million vesting option on Papelbon’s deal in 2016. This is Philadelphia’s best shot of trading Papelbon and a chance for Papelbon to go to a team where he can feel relevant again."

This is consistent with the report from Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week that indicated that the trade talks for Papelbon were “on life support” because of the issue of that vesting option.

It appears a trade will not happen soon, but it still might be in the works down the line. As spring training gets rolling and as the two sides assess their respective situations, these talks might be revisited with more motivation to figure out the money issues that apparently stand in the way.

As if the Brewers didn’t already have enough mascots, imagine if they had Jonathan Papelbon as well.

Papelbon will be 34 years old when the 2015 season starts. He is coming off an outstanding season in which he posted a 2.04 ERA, 4.20 K/BB ratio, and saved 39 games on the lowly Phillies.

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