One day after the Washington Nationals were officially eliminated from the National League East race, the club endured another public humiliation Sunday when Jonathan Papelbon reached for the throat of Bryce Harper and pushed the outfielder into a dugout wall.
Sunday’s scuffle represented a new low for a Nationals team that entered the season as a World Series favorite. It was also a reminder that there will be plenty of changes ahead, beginning with manager Matt Williams.
“(The incident) shows Williams has lost the dugout as well as the clubhouse, and why everyone predicts he'll be fired about two seconds after the season ends,” says ESPN.com’s David Schoenfield.
Papelbon, who is under contract for $11 million in 2016, apologized for the incident afterwards, but it does raise the issue as to whether the closer will be around in Washington next season, writes Chelsea James of the Washington Post.
Harper, don’t forget, is the face of the franchise and isn’t going anywhere. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes the Nationals should part ways with Papelbon because he “isn’t worth the trouble.” It should make for a fascinating winter in DC.
Here are more rumors around the majors with a week to go in the regular season:
Boston Red Sox: Among the questions facing the new front office is who will play first base in 2016. The morning line favorite is Travis Shaw, who has hit 11 homers since being called up in early August, but that could easily change, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Another possibility is Hanley Ramirez, who was a disaster defensively in left field and needs a new position. As for the free agent market, Lauber suggests the Orioles’ Chris Davis, who is represented by Scott Boras and will likely be seeking a lucrative deal of at least five years.
Jason Varitek: Currently a special assistant with the Red Sox, Varitek's name has been floated as a managerial candidate, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. One possible fit could be in San Diego, where the status of interim skipper Pat Murphy is up in the air and former Red Sox CEO Mike Dee is running the team.
Philadelphia Phillies: Don’t expect the Phils to be major players in the free-agent market this winter, says Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The bulk of the Phillies’ top major league talent is still not close to major league ready. The franchise is also more than one market free agent away from being a playoff contender, so it might be more prudent to wait another year. New president GM Andy MacPhail hopes to have a new general manager in place by the team’s organizational meetings in late October.
Alex Anthopoulos: Before the start of the playoffs, the Blue Jays will announce that Anthopoulos will return as general manager, says Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. The move is a delicate one for the Jays since it will be made before new president Mark Shapiro takes over in November.
James Loney: The first baseman is under contract for $8 million for next season, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times asks if the Rays might be better served by trading the injury-prone Loney and opening up a spot for Richie Shaffer, who hit a combined 26 homers in Double-A and Triple-A.
