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Brad Lidge

NL East Rumors: Nationals, Phillies, Lidge

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"We are certainly not giving up on this season," Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Having won three in a row, the Nats are seven games back in the wild card.  Rizzo would like to improve his current team, but plans to avoid rentals.  "I'm not concerned that we need to go out and get a starting pitcher," he added in talking to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Rizzo also downplayed suggestions of a rift with manager Davey Johnson, after the GM's decision to fire hitting coach Rick Eckstein.  More from the NL East…

Brad Lidge To Retire

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Brad Lidge has informed his agents that he plans to retire from baseball, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The former closer underwent surgery in late April and appeared in just 9.1 innings for the Nationals last season.

The 35-year-old signed a $1MM deal with the Nats in January but was sidelined by sports hernia surgery in late April and struggled in his June return.  “Lights Out” had a 9.64 ERA with ten strikeouts and eleven walks in 11 appearances for Washington in 2012.  In eleven big league seasons, the right-hander had an ERA of 3.54 with 11.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 for the Astros, Phillies, and Nats.

Brad Lidge May Not Return In 2012

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Reliever Brad Lidge has yet to decide if he will try to come back and pitch for another team in 2012, writes Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.  The veteran was released by the Nationals earlier this week.

Lidge has returned home to his native Colorado since being cut and said he is happy spending time with his family. Meanwhile, he has instructed his agents to take calls from interested teams.

Lidge, 35, came to the Nats on a $1MM deal in January but was sidelined by sports hernia surgery in late April and struggled in his return earlier this month.  "Lights Out" had a 9.64 ERA with ten strikeouts and eleven walks in 11 appearances for Washington this year.  For his career, Lidge owns an ERA of 3.54 with 11.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 for the Astros, Phillies, and Nats.

 

Nationals Release Brad Lidge

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June 25: The Nationals officially released Lidge today, according to Comak (on Twitter).

June 17: The Nationals designated Brad Lidge for assignment, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times (via Twitter).  Lidge has appeared in just 9.1 innings this year, allowing ten runs with ten strikeouts and eleven walks.

The reliever known as "Lights Out" gave up a two-run double to Mark Teixeira in the 14th inning of yesterday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.  Lidge had just recently come off of a stint on the DL which kept him out of action from late April until June 8th.  The 35-year-old has a career ERA of 3.54 with 11.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.

Phillies Links: Victorino, Lidge, Hamels

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A few items to pass along as the Phillies begin their defense of five consecutive NL East crowns …

  • Center fielder Shane Victorino, entering his final season before free agency, said there haven't yet been any negotiations between him and the Phils regarding an extension, but he said wants to remain in Philly, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “I don’t plan on going anywhere else,” he said.
  • Brad Lidge, now of the Nationals, said the Phillies reversed course after telling him that they wanted to re-sign him at the conclusion of 2011, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. GM Ruben Amaro told Brookover that the sides discussed a modest deal early in the offseason but moved on to other options when Lidge passed in favor of seeking closing opportunities elsewhere.
  • Now that Cole Hamels has expressed a willingness to remain with the Phillies — and perhaps even sign at a hometown discount — the onus is on the club to secure the left-hander with a long-term contract, opines Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Rosenthal adds that even with an already hefty payroll, the Phils can afford Hamels, as they've already sold 3.1MM tickets for 2012.

Nationals To Sign Brad Lidge

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The Nationals have agreed to sign free agent right-hander Brad Lidge to a one-year deal, the team announced. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets that Lidge will earn $1MM plus incentives. MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported the agreement via Twitter after Salisbury first tweeted that a deal was close. Rex Gary of Turner Gary Sports represents Lidge.

Lidge, 35, appeared in just 25 games in 2011 because of a rotator cuff injury. He posted a 1.40 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 19 1/3 regular season innings for the Phillies before pitching two scoreless frames in the Division Series. The ten-year veteran owns a career ERA of 3.44 with 12.0 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a 40.7% ground ball rate.

Lidge, who earned $12MM in 2011, did not receive an offer of arbitration from Philadelphia after the season. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears that the Phillies made him a lowball offer (Twitter link). Lidge joins a Nationals bullpen that includes Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Henry Rodriguez and Sean Burnett.

Lidge, Nationals Nearing Deal

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The Nationals are nearing a deal with free agent reliever Brad Lidge, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Rex Gary of Turner Gary Sports represents Lidge.

Lidge, 34, appeared in just 25 games in 2011 because of a rotator cuff injury. He posted a 1.40 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 19 1/3 regular season innings for the Phillies before pitching two scoreless frames in the Division Series. The ten-year veteran owns a career ERA of 3.44 with 12.0 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a 40.7% ground ball rate.

Lidge, who earned $12MM in 2011, did not receive an offer of arbitration from Philadelphia. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears that the Phillies made Lidge a lowball offer (Twitter link).

This post was first published January 26th, 2012.

NL East Notes: Lidge, Cabrera, Nationals, Wright

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It's been a busy offseason in the NL East and Yoenis Cespedes and Prince Fielder could join the division before the winter's up. Here are the latest links…

  • The Phillies have stayed in touch with Brad Lidge this offseason, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • The Braves have not offered Roy Oswalt a contract, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
  • The Braves offered Orlando Cabrera a one-year deal this winter, Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets. Cabrera, who announced his retirement yesterday, presumably obtained the offer before the Braves re-signed Jack Wilson six days ago.
  • The Nationals could hope to double or triple the $29MM they obtained from MASN last year when they reset their regional TV deal, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post confirms. The team hired an outside expert to re-negotiate the deal in the hopes of boosting revenues substantially, Kilgore adds. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier this month that the Nationals' TV revenues could “double, triple or more” when they reset the deal.
  • Any team that acquires David Wright from the Mets this summer wouldn't get a draft pick if he opts out of his contract after the season and leaves as a free agent, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork confirms on Twitter. Wright can void a $16MM club option for 2013 if he's traded, so Rubin suggests the third baseman's trade value may be highest next offseason.

Latest On Brad Lidge

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7:20pm: "At this point I probably could have taken some offers," said Lidge to MLB.com's Paul Hagen, who notes that the right-hander hopes to make a decision soon. "At the same time, they weren't quite right for me … There are a lot of teams that want you to be there in case their young guys doesn't do well — to be a setup guy. And that's great. We'll kind of see how that plays out. That might be what I have to do."

11:43am: The Phillies remain in touch with Brad Lidge and the Angels are on the periphery, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Rockies are not on Lidge, he adds.

Lidge, 35, posted a 1.40 ERA, 10.7 K/9, 6.1 BB/9, and 57.4% groundball rate with no home runs allowed in 19 1/3 innings for the Phillies last year.  His season began in July after recovery from a shoulder injury, and the former flamethrower was down to 89 miles per hour for his average fastball.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Hamels, Lidge

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When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes listed the most surprising trades of the offseason last week, NL West clubs showed up in four of the six. The West, which has seen all five teams earn playoff spots since 2006, is once again difficult to figure out heading into the spring, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports. As the division's residents continue to make moves in hopes of contending, here are the latest NL West updates:

  • The Disney family has partnered with Stanley Gold and will make a bid for the Dodgers, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. With a handful of deep-pocketed bidders already in contention for the franchise, Shaikin says current owner Frank McCourt believes the sale could exceed $1.6 billion.
  • Within his ESPN.com Insider blog, Buster Olney says the competition is good news for Dodgers fans, since no one who commits that type of money to purchase the franchise will "let it rot with a modest payroll." Cole Hamels should also be excited, Olney adds, implying the Dodgers could be in position to make the southpaw a significant offer if he becomes a free agent next winter.
  • The Rockies, who we know have talked to Brad Lidge this offseason, are still interested in the Denver-area native, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. However, due to Lidge's injuries last year, Colorado only has interest "at minimal risk." Presumbly a deal heavy on incentives would be the Rockies' preference.
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