The struggle is real for the Philadelphia Phillies this season, as they are in last place with a 29-57 record. And now, pitcher Jonathan Papelbon wants out of the club and expects that he will be traded before the deadline on July 31.
Papelbon's pact with the Phillies has a limited no-trade clause, but he expressed his willingness to join any team that wanted his services.
"I'm going to whoever wants me the most and whoever feels like I can help them the best," he said in a report by ESPN.
The pitcher is again an All-Star for the National League this season with the All-Star Game to be played on July 14 at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"I would be surprised [if I wasn't traded]. Yeah, that would be a pretty valid answer," Papelbon, 34, told reporters Monday, according to ESPN.
"I don't make these decisions. The front office knows where my heart is and where my mind is. And that's to be with a contending ballclub. The ball is in their court, so to speak," he added.
Papelbon explained his intentions of playing for a contending club, which the Phillies were not with their poor performance this season.
"I think everybody knows where I'm at. I've always been straightforward that I want to go play for a contender, and I'm not going to shy away from it. I feel like that's my right and my prerogative to have that opportunity and, you know, it's in their hands," Papelbon added.
Papelbon played in 34 games this season for Philadelphia with a 1.65 ERA and has 14 saves with 34 strikeouts.
Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon was with the Boston Red Sox for seven seasons and has won the World Series with the club in 2007 against the Colorodo Rockies in just four games.
