Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo On ESPN 980 On Brad Lidge Signing With Nats.
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 12:56 PM EST
Email
PrintThe Washington Nationals announced this morning that they'd signed 35-year-old veteran reliever Brad Lidge to what is reportedly a one-year/$1M dollar deal. The 10-year MLB veteran reliever has 223 career saves, 11.95 K/9, 4.18 BB/9, a 3.44 ERA and 3.23 FIP in 592 games and 594.0 career IP over the course of his career with the Houston Astros who drafted him in the 1st Round of the 1998 Draft and the Philadelphia Phillies who acquired the right-hander in a November 2007 trade. Lidge's 2011 season started late as he recovered from rotator cuff issues, but as D.C. GM Mike Rizzo explained this afternoon in an appearance on ESPN 980's The Sports Fix with Thom Loverro and Kevin Sheehan, the one-time closer, who'll work with Tyler Clippard and closer Drew Storen at the back of the Nats' bullpen, should be 100% healthy heading into Spring Training:
Mike Rizzo: "First of all, [Brad Lidge is] a character guy. An 80 make-up man. Has been standing at the mound after the last out of a World Series and has been through all the trials and tribulations of a successful closer. This is a guy that brings us a vast amount of knowledge about how to pitch back-ends of the game. He'll rub off on Storen and Clippard and H-Rod, Henry Rodriguez, and [Ryan] Mattheus. He'll be a wealth of information for those guys. He still has swing and miss stuff. His slider is still a big-time swing and miss pitch. His velocity is down from his formidable years, but he's still a big ground ball guy. I think last year he was 54% [ed. note - "57.4%"] ground ball pitcher, and a strikeout guy. I think that with knocking the rust off and being in Spring Training and being healthy, which he is, he just passed a physical yesterday, that he'll walk less guys and still have strikeout ability and ground ball ability.
So, I see him fitting in somewhere in the bullpen. Drew Storen is our closer, Clip is our set-up guy, they're both All-Star caliber pitchers, Brad is an All-Star caliber pitcher, and a veteran presence, so he's going to help us. And you know Davey [Johnson], Davey uses a bullpen, he's got his A, B bullpen and they're will be plenty of games for Brad to pitch in at the end of it and he knows his role and he's really going to grab this thing and be a mentor to our staff."
• You can listen to the entire ESPN 980 interview with Mike Rizzo HERE.
74 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Love this signing
Great move by Rizzo. Did Werth say something about chatting with Lidge last year around the Winter Meetings?
That was Madson, actually. Forgot about that.
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, right
Get those two confused pretty often.
by anthonyfrancis on Jan 26, 2012 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
Wasn't expecting this
It’s a low-risk deal so even if he gets injured again, it won’t have a big impact on the team’s overall plans. When I saw the headlines, I wondered why the Nats would even go after him. But it seems like the team wants him to be as much of a mentor than as a pitcher. He can fulfill that role even when injured. If he’s healthy, then he can take some of the workload from Clippard and Storen.
-------------------------------------------------
"Save it. I'm goin' for a smoothie."
The Washington Nationals, the team of the 2010s!
Hope this move is not a precursor to a trade
Hopefully this is a face-value deal: Lidge replaces Coffey as the veteran in the bullpen, and not a precursor to a trade of Storen or Clippard…
Hmmmm.
Doubt it, but if it was necessary to include either Clippard or Storen to get a CF, I’d still do it.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Or Mattheus...
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
Stop trading our players!!!!
[adopted slogan from the 2012 Baby Raccoon Winter Meeting by a 2 out of 3 margin….]
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
Oakland DFA'd Adrian Cardenas
This kid can flat out hit but doesn’t have a defensive position. I say the Nats go and grab him with a ST invite and see what he can do. Maybe not a CF, but LF with Werth in CF when Morse eventually heads back first base. Harper in right by all means.
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
Make room for Jonny Gomes
Really, that is what they did.
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
Oh I get it, he wasn’t a complete ballplayer… Oakland wanted someone who not only couldn’t field, but also couldn’t hit.
And they really wanted a guy who messes with his helmet 8,000 times at every at bat
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
He does make for a dramatic walk back to the dugout after watching a called strike three, though...
you just can’t teach some things….. (watching the condensed 4-game sweep of the Phillies, I saw Gomes K looking about 3 or 4 times……awful…)
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 4:45 PM EST up reply actions
maybe that messing with the helmet thing is a sort of trigger mechanism that gets him ready to put it back in its cubby in the dugout after he strikes out.
Still, I liked Gomes… a colorful character that was fun to watch despite all.
yes, he just "looks" like a scrappy ballplayer!!!
that is enough to get jobs, apparently…
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 27, 2012 3:35 PM EST up reply actions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Courtney
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 27, 2012 10:12 PM EST up reply actions
Because Billy Beane doesn't make sense until he does.
Say no more.
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
BTW, he is 24
He hit .314/.374/.418 in AAA last year.
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
I am not sure those numbers are great for the PCL
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
True
Never posted an OPS above 800 in the PCL ever and his fielding is pretty bad, at least says the A’s fans.
So I guess I’m still hoping for Brown to put it together?
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
Went to the same high school as Chris Marrero, at the same time.....
so there’s a connection there.
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
So did Gio!!
And they played against Desmond…
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 2:23 PM EST up reply actions
he is old for a guy who managed six hr in over a year at aaa
dont get the love
by William.Hatheway on Jan 26, 2012 6:33 PM EST up reply actions
I like it
His slider is tough. He can live off that so long as he is used in small doses.
by HarmonK on Jan 26, 2012 2:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Juan Pierre
Its now time for this signing…………..
Rather pick up that Cardenas kid. Hit-but-no-position? Well, we could use a power bench-bat
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
by Jorgath on Jan 26, 2012 4:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Davey prefers a hairy-chested slugger on the bench
-------------------------------------------------
"Save it. I'm goin' for a smoothie."
The Washington Nationals, the team of the 2010s!
He'll be a hairy-chested slugger.
In a few years.
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
I hope you're joking.
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
MarkZuckerman:
Mike Rizzo said #Nats gave Brad Lidge an enhanced MRI on shoulder before he signed. Test came back clean and doctors cleared him.
You mean...
He’ll blow out his non-throwing shoulder in spring training, ask to play through it, and end up on the Injury list in the middle of the season?
(seriously, why do they even bother getting the doctors to “clear” people?)
At worst, Lidge is a placeholder for Kimbell
At best, he’s another reliable back-of-the-bullpen arm. His velocity has been dropping for years, but his slider has always been his best pitch. On a night when Storen is unavailable, I like Lidge better than Coffey to pitch the 9th.
So now the bullpen is really shaping up:
Storen
Clippard
Burnett
Lidge
H-Rod
Gorzo
Those six pretty much etched in stone. The last spot is between Stammen, Matheus, Severino and the loser of the the rotation battle. If it’s Detwiler, I’m sure he’ll be the 7th guy, but Lannan has options and Davey prefers a RH long man which would give Stammen the advantage. Maybe Wang starts slow and needs a little DL time to get things going, but it’s nice to have too many guys for the roster than not enough.
We Aim to Maim - JoseRijo es mi Amigo aka court
Dets the last man
Almost certain they wont start Lannan at AAA or in the pen. He’s just been too much of a pivotal figure through the years and they’ll give him the benefit of the doubt to start the season. If he stinks or drops form – then he might to pushed down. But Id be very surprised if they dropped him from ST.
Ian Desmond is my hero!
Agreed
I think that, going into ST, the #4 and #5 slots are pencilled in for Wang and Lannan.
That said, they are not promised/guaranteed to Wang and Lannan – it just means that if they’re all about the same I see both Wang and Lannan in the rotation. Interestingly, if Wang is uneven or goes on the DL to start the season then the Nationals would have 3 LHP in the starting rotation. In that situation Lannan would almost certainly be in the #4 slot, given seniority and the need for Detwiler to prove his durability.
In that situation you might actually see, for RLRL sake...
Gio, Strasburg, Lannan, Zimmermann, Detwiler
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
Never happen
You still end up with the LL in the #5/#1 turn of the rotation
Were going to have...........
Two lefties back to back at some point…………
Rizzo put the kibosh on that thinking again today in ESPN980 interview...
#nostrasinseptembermakesnatsfanssad
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 10:24 PM EST up reply actions
there’s been some uncontrolled chittering, but hard to tell if it’s above normal…they’ll find out eventually, though..
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 10:53 PM EST up reply actions
Hey DC Guy
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the mention of Wang going on the DL to start the season. What gives? Is this just speculation given his history, or is there something more concrete to have a concern about?
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
I'm thinking it's more of a "hey,you - run across the outfield ... when you get back, tell me about your injured hamstring"
Not that there’s anything specific to worry about other than his history. I just think that if there’s any sort of soreness at all, even natural muscle soreness, that could come in handy if they have to stash a player on the DL for a couple of weeks.
I do think that the Nationals need another OF
I have to admit that, out of the free agents that are still out there, I’m starting to lean towards Fukudome. He can play some CF, is OK with the bat and the glove, and is LH (although oddly enough he doesn’t have much in the way of L/R splits) and he will occasionally take a walk (his OBP last season, .342, was both the lowest of his career and 40 points higher than Bernadina’s).
Bernadina’s dWAR last year: 0.4 (a career best)
Fukudome’s dWAR last year: 2.0
Fukudome’s TZ ratings on Fangraphs are also better than Bernadina’s, although CF is the weakest position for both of them. Interestingly, Jayson Werth is a better CF (based on 123 career games) than either.
Don't know about dWAR, but his WAR was -0.2
Which means he’s a replacement player at this point. He barely played any CF last year and when he did, he sucked. He does have a decent OBP, but that’s about all he brings to the table. I’d rather have Ankiel back myself.
And as you pointed out, Werth is better in CF anyway.
We Aim to Maim - JoseRijo es mi Amigo aka court
You don't want to know
2011 stats: .279/.329/.327 → OPS=.657
LF fielding pctg = .976; UZR/150 = -10.7
He hasn’t played CF since 2009, and wasn’t any good at it then. He has no arm, his speed has declined, and his slugging percentage is less than his on-base percentage. No thanks.
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
Kosuke Fukudome WAR
2011 War 2.8 (2.6 for CHC plus .2 for CLE)
Fukudome also had twice as many innings as Bernadina and he is getting older.
I’m not saying that I am adamantly opposed to getting Fukudome, but he is far from ideal. I don’t know what he’ll cost or if Bernandina will ever pull it all together. I would be interested to see if the Nationals don’t trade for another low-grade OF based on Spring Training. Right now they have Mike Cameron, Bernandina, Morse, Werth, Harper, Corey Brown, and De Rosa as possible OF solutions. I would hold Harper back until mid-season to extend team control. De Rosa is more infield help. Mike Cameron is questionable. I would like to see Brown up if he’s fully recovered. The Shark will also be in his age 27 season, which is generally considered a peak year.
I think that we need a strong bench bat more than a OF.
#extendZim
If it's to get through one season, the "getting older" doesn't really matter to me
I’ve been hoping for Corey Brown to break through for a while, but I would be extremely reluctant to go into a season where he was a major part of the plan.
NPUT...
Collecting all Rizzo’s comments on deal, prospects, last few drafts, etc….
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 6:08 PM EST reply actions
[Gio deal] that is lest anyone misinterpret...
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2012 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
the need for a "hairy chested" bench player
I think someone like Pat Burrell will really fit in very nicely. I know he is another ex-Phillie but he can still hit for decent power and has high OBP. Having ex Phillies to beat the crap out of them will be sweet to watch.
by Go!nats on Jan 26, 2012 7:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I believe Burrell officially retired
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
Some bench options left
Aaron Miles
Ryan Theriot
Edgar Renteria
Eric Chavez
Pat Burrell(?)
Rick Ankiel
Raul Ibanez
Kosuke Fukudome
Xavier Nady
Magglio Ordóñez
MOAR SEVERINO!
when..... would a list such as this been impressive?
2005?…
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 8:14 PM EST up reply actions
preferably, someone else's....
although if forced to choose, bring back fan favourite “The Arm”………..I never get tired of watching him throw out runners…
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
oh, there are others?.............and they're worse?
let’s just keep another pitcher…
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 8:31 PM EST up reply actions
Not much chest hair there.
"I was a victim of a series of accidents. As are we all."
---Malachi Constant
by The Herndon Kid on Jan 26, 2012 8:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
just looked through the FA list at MLBTR........I think Rizzo should stop shopping......
"...I don't want to go watch American League baseball." -Lance Berkman....
I wanna watch the "... tape-measure-testing, laser-throwing, eyeblack-oozing baseball cyborg."
by cat daddy3000 on Jan 26, 2012 9:08 PM EST up reply actions
TheRiot now off this list.
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
At this point I'm not thinking about a CF, just an OF.
Fukudome bats left, so doesn’t work as a platoon with Bernadina. As a temporary right fielder I could live with him. Byrd is right handed, so there is the platoon possibility. I suppose there is an outside chance that DeRosa is actually healthy, but even if he is at 37 he isn’t likely to produce like he did for the Cards in 2009. If he could actually approach his 2009 numbers I’d be fine with him playing right against lefties. In fact, DeRosa’s health could be a key factor in the team’s success. It looks like Rizzo has decided that if he can’t get a top CF he is going to settle for a has-been or never-was. I’m not seeing improvement in the bench, and the pickings are getting thin.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Federal Baseball
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
GAMETHREAD SPONSOR
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- WANT: The Sid Bream sliding bobblehead (complete with Mike LaValliere and Randy Marsh!)
- Adrian Gonzalez is going to hit a home run Thursday night, according to Adrian Gonzalez
- Rich Thompson, the modern-day Moonlight Graham, gets another shot with the Rays
- Gary Sinise’s first pitch was not worthy of an Oscar
- Photo: Yu Darvish gets a big head, lowers his ERA to 2.60
