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The Washington Nationals have designated relief pitcher Brad Lidge for assignment, essentially ending his ineffective two and a half month stint with the team.
He pitched in 9.2 innings, allowing 12 hits and 11 walks. Not surprisingly, his earned run average was a putrid 9.64.
The Nationals will now have ten days to attempt to trade Lidge, and if they cannot, they will release him, meaning he’ll become a free agent. If that happens, I think the Philadelphia Phillies should absolutely pursue Brad Lidge.
The Phillies’ bullpen is a complete mess. Closer Jonathan Papelbon is the only trusted right handed reliever on the team, and manager Charlie Manuel insists on only using him in save situations.
Chad Qualls is perhaps the most unreliable reliever in the game. He has an ERA of ‘only’ 4.39 but his WHIP is 1.50 and he is one of the worst in baseball at allowing inherited runners to score.
The Phillies’ other right handed reliever is Michael Schwimer and he is what you would classify as a Quad-A reliever: too good for the minor leagues but not good enough for the major leagues.
Then there’s Jose Contreras and David Herndon and Michael Stutes, who are on the disabled list, and BJ Rosenberg, who is back in the minor leagues after allowing four earned runs in 1.2 innings.
Signing Brad Lidge would be a good fit for the Phillies, who desperately need a right handed reliever.
No, I don’t think Lidge will revive the bullpen for the Phillies. He’s 35 years old and he continues to lose mileage on his fastball.
But Lidge was very effective for the Phillies from 2008 to 2011. He saved all 48 save opportunities in 2008, including the final out of the World Series. He had arguably the worst season by a closer in baseball history in 2009, blowing 11 saves, losing eight games, and recording a 7.21 ERA. But he had solid seasons in 2010 and 2011, although he did struggle with injuries.
Maybe bringing him back would be pointless. He could have nothing left and it could partially spoil the legacy of Lidge in Philadelphia.
But maybe he’ll have a little bit left, and if he can just record a league average ERA, he’ll be the top right handed reliever for the Phillies.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for Eagles Central and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
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