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The Washington Nationals have signed former Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge to a one-year contract.
The Washington Nationals have signed veteran reliever Brad Lidge to a one-year contract, and they apparently got him on a pretty good value, according to this report.
Nats announce one-year deal with Lidge. According to source, he gets $1 mill and incentives. Best of luck to a real competitor/gentleman
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) January 26, 2012
I was a little skeptical about this deal when it was announced because the Nationals don't really need someone like him in their bullpen. But for only $1 million plus incentives, it is a risk worth taking. Worst case scenario is the money is a sunk cost. But if Lidge can stay healthy and find his pitch again, then the Nationals would be getting a player that could help them put together one of the best bullpens in the major leagues. Certainly a risk worth taking.
For more on this signing and all things Washington Nationals, please head over to Federal Baseball.
The Washington Nationals have officially come to terms with reliever Brad Lidge on a one-year contract, according to a press release sent out by the team. Here are some interesting stats on Lidge based on the team press release.
In 10 seasons with the Phillies (2008-11) and Astros (2002-07), Lidge has fanned over 31 percent of all batters faced and his strikeout rate of 12.0 per 9.0 innings is the highest all-time among pitchers to throw at least 500 big league innings.
For a few years Lidge was one of the dominant relief pitchers in the game, but battles with injuries and confidence have caused him to fall off a little bit in the last few years. He isn't the kind of guy you want to bring in on a one-year deal to close games on a full time basis, but as part of a patchwork bullpen in the early innings of a game, he might surprise some people.
For more on this potential signing and all things Washington Nationals, please head over toFederal Baseball.
Last year the Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth away from the Philadelphia Phillies, and now it seems like they are close to bringing one of his former teammates in Philly on board.
Source: Brad Lidge is close to signing with Washington Nationals
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) January 26, 2012
Lidge is a very good player when healthy, but you wonder why the Nationals felt like he was a priority to bring on board. They already have a very good young closer in Drew Storen and an All-Star setup man in Tyler Clippard. Even behind those two guys, it's not a guarantee that Lidge would get the seventh inning all to himself. But if he does and can remain healthy, he would give the Nationals a dominating backend of the bullpen. Which raises the question, why is he available for the Nationals to sign?
lidge close to signing with #nats (via @JSalisburyCSN). philly's offer was of the lowball variety, i hear
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 26, 2012
We'll have to wait until this deal is finalized before we can fully judge it, but it seems like the Nationals are about to make one of their greatest positions of strength even stronger.
For more on this potential signing and all things Washington Nationals, please head over to Federal Baseball.
Brad Lidge Signs With Washington Nationals, Expected To Be Setup Man
More: Rizzo's comments on Lidge signing
Now that Brad Lidge has officially signed with the Washington Nationals, it's worth considering what his ultimate role with the team will end up being. The veteran reliever was once one of the league's feared closers, with 229 career saves. However, all indications are that he will set up and leave the real late-inning work to Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen.
Via Mark Zuckerman and Bill Ladson:
Lidge has struggled with injuries recently and lost velocity on his pitches, but the Nationals are hoping he can still be an effective middle-inning guy for a good price.
For more on this potential signing and all things Washington Nationals, please head over to Federal Baseball.
Jan 26 12:17p by Mike Prada