Nationals on cusp of trade with Phillies for closer Jonathan Papelbon

ByABC News
July 28, 2015, 5:41 PM

— -- The Philadelphia Phillies and Nationals are at the finish line on a deal that would send Jonathan Papelbon to Washington in exchange for a minor league pitcher, sources told ESPN's Jim Bowden on Tuesday.

Papelbon is expected to become the Nats' closer, the sources said.

The teams had been still working through a number of "hurdles" to complete the deal, sources told ESPN's Jayson Stark earlier in the day.

Papelbon's no-trade clause allows him to veto a deal to the Nationals, so he would want his $13 million vesting option to be guaranteed in order to approve a deal, the sources told Stark.

The teams also need to agree on how much of Papelbon's salary for this year and next the Phillies would pick up.

An even larger issue is Papelbon's repeated assertions that he would not approve any deal to a team where he wouldn't be the full-time closer.

But Papelbon is expected to replace  Drew Storen in that role.