01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 7, 2006

BALTIMORE -- Called on to preserve a one-run lead Wednesday night in Texas, Jonathan Papelbon couldn't have been more effective or efficient.

With six pitches, Papelbon bore through the lower third of the Rangers' batting order and secured the Red Sox 2-1 victory. When the Sox summoned Papelbon for the save, they were bypassing Keith Foulke, but it's hard to argue with success.

Or is it?

Forgot for a moment how impressive Papelbon was. The larger question is: where do the Red Sox go from here?

Had the Sox turned to Papelbon a few weeks from now, after Foulke gave up some late-inning leads, there would be no point in second-guessing the move. Foulke would have had his chance and proved himself unworthy of the team's trust.

But in going to Papelbon as quickly as they did, in the third game of the season, the Red Sox may well have painted themselves into an untenable position.

Scenario A: Papelbon continues to get the ball in the ninth and wins the job full-time. On the one hand, the club will have "solved" its closer question for the time being.

But what happens to Foulke, who is due $7.75 million this year and who has an option that can be exercised for next season worth some $4.5 million? The Sox will be on the hook for more than $12 million to a pitcher who has been transformed into the most expensive mop-up man in baseball.

His trade value will be virtually non-existent. Wouldn't it have been far better to see what Foulke could do in the first few weeks before resorting to plan B?

What's more, Papelbon will be tied to the closer's role for, likely, the remainder of the season. If any one of the team's five starters goes down with an injury -- hardly a long shot with three starters over the age of 39 -- or becomes ineffective, then the Sox' first option will be Lenny DiNardo.

DiNardo may not be a bad fifth starter, but under no circumstances is he a better choice than Papelbon. Suddenly, the Sox starting pitching depth, following the trade of Bronson Arroyo and the potential re-assignment of Papelbon, appears rather thin.

(Lefty Jon Lester needs at least a half-season at Triple A and wouldn't be an option to step into the rotation until July -- at the earliest).

In the meantime, Papelbon risks losing a year of development. His future is clearly as a starter and he won't progress with 60-something innings as the closer.

Scenario B: Foulke soon assumes the role of closer, but has a rough outing or two, as he did in Monday's season opener.

The minute Foulke falters, the clamor will begin for Terry Francona to give the job to Papelbon permanently. It won't matter that Papelbon has exactly one major league save or that Foulke has 190 and counting.

Fans will recall Papelbon's dominant outing Wednesday and grow impatient with Foulke. Given that Foulke exhibited a somewhat fragile psyche last season, that's not an optimal development.

To his credit, Foulke said all the right things in the aftermath of Wednesday's win. There wasn't a hint that he felt slighted, or that he was putting himself before the team. To the contrary, he reiterated that roles and titles were overrated and that the most important development was that the Sox had won.

That's a credit to Francona, who communicated well with Foulke before the game and advised him that Papelbon might be getting the call for the ninth.

But even under the best of circumstances, Foulke has a prickly personality. If he's reduced to a bit part in the bullpen, the Sox will be burdened by both his salary and his disgruntlement.

It may well be that Papelbon is already the better pitcher of the two. Certainly, that was the Red Sox assessment Wednesday in Arlington, no matter how much Francona tried to sugar-coat it.

Papelbon throws harder, has an aggressive makeup and isn't cowed by the job. Those are all positives.

But by experimenting as soon as they did, the Sox have reduced their options. Forgetting for a minute the final score the other night, that seems an odd thing to do with 159 games remaining in the season.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340