Relief for the bullpen

Along with the announcement, there is a trickle-down theory developing in the Sox' clubhouse. Now that the stud is in place, the hope is the rest of the bullpen will follow suit. It is a leap of faith, but one Jason Varitek believes will unfold.

"I think we're going to have a very good bullpen, but we have to get [Mike] Timlin back healthy for it to be what we want it to be," he said. "But that will happen. It simplifies things for sure. Jonathan does a great job in that role and I think the energy he brings is going to rub off on everyone else."

Although manager Terry Francona isn't yet offering up clues to his order leading up to Papelbon -- when Timlin returns it appears he will pitch the eighth inning -- Donnelly has experience as a seventh-inning pitcher and Joel Pineiro, who pitched a scoreless ninth yesterday in a 3-2 win over the Orioles, could pitch multiple innings in middle relief.

The setup of the bullpen will depend on whether Papelbon is used for only one inning and only in save situations. He seemed to give mixed signals yesterday. In the morning, Papelbon said, "I'll get the ninth inning. I'll get the ball in a save opportunity." Asked if he would be used in a tie game, he said, "No." Later in the morning, Francona and general manager Theo Epstein had a meeting with Papelbon to discuss what he said.

Afterward, Epstein and Francona suggested Papelbon was getting ahead of himself and that no definitive role had been mapped out.

Papelbon later said he would go along with the team's plan, whether "it was to get one out in the eighth and then the ninth, whatever they want me to do." He also repeated the company line that the plan would be kept in-house.

Papelbon had referred to the manner in which Joe Torre handles Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, which Papelbon felt would be the way the Red Sox would use him. Earlier in spring training, Torre said he was going to use Rivera only for the ninth inning. A similar approach makes sense given the weakening of Papelbon's shoulder late last season.