@chadnorthrup

Boston Red Sox trading closer Papelbon? - Sports Rumors - MLB - Yahoo! Sports [LAME]

Closer Jonathan Papelbon (notes) has been an All-Star for the Boston Red Sox since he came into the league in 2006. He's saved 151 games for the team and is the owner of the record for the most consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason with 26. And now the team is supposedly considering trading him.
ESPN's Steve Phillips said as much in an interview on WEEI radio. He says Papelbon will be used to bring a big bat to Boston, which is good because Jason Bay (notes) supposedly wants to move back to the West Coast, where he has a home in Seattle.
After all, the guy has two more years on his contract and there aren't many good closers that will be available this winter through free agency. If Papelbon does get moved, though, he'll have to choose a new entrance song. He currently arrives at the mound to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," by the Dropkick Murphys.

Source: WEEI

Related: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox

via sports.yahoo.com

Both the premise of this article and its headline annoy the heck out of me. Why? Because it's misleading, and the average person who doesn't look closely enough will assume that complete and utter speculation = proof that the Red Sox are exploring this deal.

Are any Red Sox team sources cited in this story? No. The linked post that is supposed to support the premise that "the team is supposedly considering trading him" doesn't even come close. The team isn't supposedly considering trading Paps... rather, Steve Phillips is saying they SHOULD consider doing this! Big difference, and it doesn't even qualify as a rumor IMO. Yet somehow this is enough to slap on the ridiculous headline. Why not go with something like "ESPN's Phillips: Red Sox Should Trade Papelbon"? At least this would be closer to the truth.

I want to like Yahoo! Sports because it's a nice alternative to the ad-intensive goliath that is ESPN.com. But they're going to need to do better than this if they want to win my eyeballs.