Lidge extention: 3 years, 37.5 Mil

by jonk on Jul 6, 2008 12:52 PM EDT

Phils extend Lidge for 3 more years at over 12 mil per year. Hmmm...what to think about that. That is a lot of money for a closer, but it does allow them to not obsess over a closer as so many teams do. It is also for 3 years and not 4, which is fairly significant. Of course, the Phils put almost 40 million into him and do not get the 2 first round draft picks they would have gotten if he left.

Are we sold on Lidge? Dominant closer who then got knocked out of his closer role in his prime for 2 years before coming here and getting back on track. I love Lidge as a low cost (in terms of years) back of the bullpen, but now he is expected to be a top tier closer for 3 more years. I think we may have bought high on this as we did with Romero. Not that I am complaining per se as it is within a range I might have gone. The smart move would have been to extend him before the season for maybe 2/3rds of the cost, but the Phils don't look at history when they make decisions, they look at what is happening right now.

Tweet Comment 6 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Burrell, too?

Can we xerox this and just change “Lidge” to “Burrell” on the deal and sign Pat to an extension, too?

by phillywriter21 on Jul 6, 2008 7:09 PM EDT reply actions

Yup

I tried to call the radio a few times during the rain delay yesterday to ask what the current (publicly acknowledgeable) thinking was regarding Pat, but couldn’t get through. I missed some other callers from time to time, so I’m not sure if anyone else asked about him. In response to one question about the outfield next year, Tom McCarthy and Sarge seemed to assume Pat was gone, but maybe that was just playing along with the questioner.

by David S. Cohen on Jul 7, 2008 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Well, first day with the new contract and Lidge ends up giving up what turned out to be a critical 9th inning run. Had he pitched a clean frame, Werth’s 2-run homer in the bottom half of the inning would have been a walk off.

by FuquaManuel on Jul 6, 2008 10:04 PM EDT reply actions

If Lidge hadn’t given up the extra run, Wagner would have thrown different pitches. The batters would have taken different approaches at the plate. Victorino might have tried to steal second. Somebody might have bunted.

by taco pal on Jul 7, 2008 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Good point.

by FuquaManuel on Jul 7, 2008 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I was mostly pleased about this because it clearly indicates that the team didn’t just hew to the thought that “we’ve got Lidge for 2008, then he goes and Myers will be the closer again.” Even if that was their plan initially, they responded to real-world events and changed the plan.

Yeah, maybe we ask too little of the Phillies front office. But I’ll take it.

by dajafi on Jul 7, 2008 11:41 AM EDT reply actions