September 14, 2015
Jonathan Papelbon may be long gone from the Phillies clubhouse, but that doesn't mean he's done trolling the team.
Chelsea Janes, Nationals beat writer for The Washington Post, tweeted out this quote from the closer Monday afternoon.
Papelbon had strong words about his time in Philly. "I was one of the few that wanted to win," among other things.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 14, 2015
Papelbon was traded to Philadelphia's NL East rival down in D.C. in July as apart of the team's fire sale of veteran talent.
When it comes to the man who dealt him, who was given the boot by the team's new top executive, Papelbon was just as cold.
Also, Papelbon hadn't heard that Phillies parted ways with former GM Ruben Amaro Jr.: "agreed with that. I don’t see it as a surprise."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 14, 2015
According to Ryan Lawrence of the Daily News, the pitcher refused to name specific players. However he did clarify the comments a bit more:
I’m saying as a team. If you don’t have a team atmosphere that’s put together that coincides with winning, you know.
He went on to say that the constant shuffling of the roster and lack of leadership hurt the Phillies, and said his attempts to try and be a leader himself were futile.
Papelbon's comments should come as no surprise, as he was more than willing to speak his mind during his tenure in Philadelphia, no matter how fans perceived him, including saying he didn't feel like a Phillie and essentially demanding the team trade him.
His desire to join a contender seemed to have been realized when he was first traded, but may now be an unrealized dream, at least for this season.
The Nationals, generally regarded as favorites in the division this year, have fallen behind the upstart Mets, sitting 9.5 games behind New York as of Monday.
Papelbon expressed disappointment about the current standings, but said he still enjoys having the chance to win.
Papelbon, who wanted to be traded to WS contender, on if what happened since he joined the Nats is disappointing: pic.twitter.com/MPZTckdQne
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 14, 2015
