The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the teams that is a clear seller ahead of next week’s trade deadline, and one of their better trade chips is closer Jonathan Papelbon. The 34-year old is having another very good season, with 17 saves in 17 opportunities, a 1.59 ERA and dominant peripherals (9.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9), and he has expressed his desire to be traded multiple times over the last month or so.

One roadblock to a trade is Papelbon’s $13 million vesting option for 2016, and he needs to finish 55 games this season to get it. With 34 games finished right now, only an injury seems likely to prevent Papelbon from assuring himself that option and the Phillies will probably have to eat some of that money to help facilitate a trade.

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported on Friday night that the Washington Nationals have discussed Papelbon with the Phillies, and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has added the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays as teams in serious pursuit of the veteran closer. All three can be considered contenders, which would fit with Papelbon’s desire to be moved to a winning team.

Papelbon’s talked about his situation at All-Star media day, saying “it’s time to you-know-what or get off the pot” and the Phillies need to go one way or the other in terms of making changes. The Phillies would certainly like to move Papelbon, and have as many teams as possible interested in him, so the team should be frustrated by his recent assertion about where he’d like to be traded to.

Papelbon has a limited no-trade clause, and according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly.com he won’t approve a trade to a team where he would not be the closer. That rules out the Nationals, with Drew Storen performing very well in the role, but the Cubs and Blue Jays remain strong possibilities with more uncertain ninth inning situations.

Papelbon’s abrasive personality may also be limiting the number of teams interested in him, but if he really wants to pitch for a contender he should be willing to adjust any expectations about his role. A desire to only go where he can close speaks to an overly inflated ego, which would  probably make Papelbon a clubhouse cancer regardless of where he lands or where he fits in a new team’s bullpen.

A part of me hopes the Phillies can’t find a suitable deal for Papelbon, and he remains with the team right to the end of what could be a 100-loss season. Any public comments he makes would surely be highly quotable, assuming he can avoid using salty language while venting frustration about not being traded.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.