Closer Controversy?

April 20th, 2011 by Mike H. | Filed under Baseball, Phillies.

Should Lidge automatically resume his role as closer should he be activated from the DL?

We knew heading into the season that Brad Lidge would not be the closer on Opening Day. We knew that Ryan Madson would be setting up for “interim” closer Jose Contreras. What most of us thought was that Contreras would move back to the 7th inning if and when Lidge was healthy. We also thought that if Lidge could not return as the closer that he would switch roles with Madson in order to gauge Madson’s value beyond 2011. Scott Boras, Madson’s agent, intends on marketing Madson as a closer, yet Madson has not had all that much success in doing so. So far, Contreras has done nothing but dominate in his role. On my way home tonight, 97.5 FM’s Dan Schwartzman posed the question of what to do if/when Brad Lidge comes back from the disabled list. Currently, Brad Lidge is a week to ten days away from starting a throwing program. That does not mean he will start his rehab assignment, but just to get his arm into playing shape. Once Lidge starts doing rehab assignments, he’ll have roughly three weeks to prove he is in fact healthy. The best case scenario at this point is to see Brad Lidge back in red pinstripes in late May or early June.

Contreras is owed $5.5 M thru 2012 with a $2.0 M option for 2013

You would kind of have to hope for the worst in that Lidge cannot come back in 2011 and Contreras is given the opportunity to see if he can be a major league closer. If Contreras proves to be a viable option, then we will most likely not see Lidge or Madson back in 2012. Contreras is currently signed thru 2012 with an option for 2013 and with pitchers like Bastardo, Stutes, Mathieson, De Fratus, Schwimer, and Aumont possibly in the mix for a spot in the pen in 2012, Lidge and Madson may not be missed.

Meanwhile, Jose Contreras has a stranglehold on the closer’s role, starting the season with three saves and no earned runs. In six appearances, Contreras has allowed just two base hits. If he can prove that his start is legit, Charlie Manuel will have yet another problem to deal with. If Contreras continues to succeed, do you go with the hot hand? Or do you go with the guy who is basically owed 13 million dollars in Lidge? I agreed with Schwartzman when he said that you really can’t put Lidge anywhere but closer because of his mental fragility and what do you do if he fails immediately.
 

 

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