Jonathan Papelbon unlikely to sign anywhere - MLB

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that “the likelihood of Jonathan Papelbon joining the Red Sox, or really any other team, now seems non-existent.”

Bradford is hearing that Papelbon has no plans of signing a new deal before midnight on Wednesday, which means he won’t be on a roster by September 1 and is not going to be eligible for postseason play. Obviously if he were to pitch poorly in September he might’ve been left of a postseason roster anyway, but it’s hard to think that a contender would want to complicate their life if they didn’t at least have the option.

Papelbon, 35, was released by the Nationals a few weeks ago. Assuming he doesn’t sign anywhere, he will finish the 2016 season with a 4.37 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 37 appearances. And he’ll spend November and beyond looking for a job for 2017.

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CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox acquired reliever Franklin German in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.

The White Sox sent minor league right-hander Theo Denlinger to Boston for German, who made his major league debut in September. Right-hander Jason Bilous was designated for assignment to make room for German on Chicago’s 40-man roster.

The 25-year-old German played for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester for most of last season, going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and seven saves in in 43 relief appearances. The right-hander had no record and an 18.00 ERA in five appearances with the Red Sox.

German, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft, was designated for assignment when Boston acquired reliever Richard Bleier in a trade with Miami.

The 26-year-old Denlinger had a 2-2 record and a 4.47 ERA in 40 appearances last season with Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. He was a seventh-round selection in the 2021 draft out of Bradley University.