Late Thursday night, it was reported that the New York Yankees had reached a two-year agreement with future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera worth $30 million. Rivera will be 43 years old when the contract expires after 2012, what will be his 18th season in Major League Baseball. But reportedly, he almost finished his career in Boston.
↵According to Jon Heyman, the Red Sox made Rivera a three-year offer in an effort to steal him away from New York, but in the end the free agent opted to stay in the Bronx. If true, then add this to the list of examples Boston has shown they're not too comfortable with Jonathan Papelbon as their closer, despite the fact they tendered his contract on Thursday.
↵For comparison's sake, Rivera finished 2010 with a 1.80 ERA and just 11 walks, while Papelbon ended the year (his second-straight season of decline) with a 3.90 ERA and 28 walks (in seven more innings).
↵