And he was the best, most consistent 3 out closer in Red Sox history. A comparable replacement may take many years. For a manager, being able to pencil in his numbers year after year made Tito's job a lot easier. Now, the 9th inning will be a crap shoot for years. You pay a premium for that certainty. People can point to Rodney as a cheap alternative. The Rays got very lucky with him, and with his inconsistent history, there is no guarantee what he will give them this year. When your closer blows up, it can take a sledge hammer to your season. I think iortiz or another poster asked what other closers have had such a consistent run of excellence like Papelbon. I think currently no one rivals his current run.