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Breaking News: Phils, Lidge Agree To 3-Year Extension
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sun, July 06, 2008 11:25 AM
The Phillies have signed closer Brad Lidge to a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension. He’s a Phillie until 2011 and has a 2012 club option, along with performance incentives.
Lidge is 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 19 saves in 19 chances this season for the Phils. In his short time here, he has rejuvenated his career and has become one of the most dominant closers in Major League Baseball.
A fantastic signing, and good on them to get it done now. It really opens a lot of questions, mainly about Brett Myers and his future status with the Phils, but that’s for future talk. Today let’s celebrate what Lidge has given the Phils and the fact he’ll be putting lights out in Philadelphia into 2011.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:31 am
This signing marks a theory for the franchise: They now feel they have a three-year window to win the World Series. Look for them to go year-to-year on Howard, as well as spinning Myers if he doesn’t pan out as a starter now.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I think it says alot about whats about to unfold in the next few weeks. The Phils are looking to win now and I really think they’ll end up with CC or Bedard. Great on both sides to get it done in season. Lidge sells high and the Phils probably get a bargain. Cordero signed for similar numbers fro Cincy.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:43 am
YYYYYYYYYYYYESSS! Pat Gillick broke his policy, finally! This deserves a big hand for Gillick and the ownership for opening up the wallet, getting the in-season discount, and doing the right thing.
Brett Myers is not marketable as a closer and is expendable, more or less. They can now move him as part of some package.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Good signing, it’s nice for them to be agressive for once, but I that’s a lot of money for a guy coming off arm problems and has only proven himself for half a year. I wonder if this shuts the door on Burrell coming back?
July 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
great move…i should say its a great move by gillick but who wouldnt do that deal….
July 6th, 2008 at 11:48 am
They also saved a few MM/yr and guaranteed years on the deal by getting it done in-season.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Gillick made the deal with Lidge that Wade wouldn’t make with Wagner. Smart move.
I definitely agree that they should go year-to-year with Howard. He has a lot to prove before his next contract is signed.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Best move I’ve seen the Phils make since getting him to begin with! Very happy today!
July 6th, 2008 at 11:57 am
It does beg the question what happens with….
Hamels
Howard
Burrell
Durbin
July 6th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Oh yea…….CC too.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Durbin should get a deal similar to romeros. I see them easily resigning him if they do it in-season. i guess they go year to year with howard and let burrell walk?
July 6th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Durbin walks for a big pay day. If he pitches this way all year, he deserves it. Hamels isnt going anywhere, Howard will be year to year until we trade him, and Burrell is a toss up.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Would you guys trade Howard for CC straight up? (if there was that window of negotiation, and we could sign him)
July 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
The Lidge signing is reat news, now it’s time to sign Burrell and Durbin. I am okay with going year to year with Howard and Hamels since both probably won’t want to come back when they become free agents anyway. Howard will end up in the AL as a DH and Hamels will probably go to his hometown San Diego and their pitcher’s park.
I would only trade Howard straight up for CC if the Phillies could sign him, and for no more than 5 years guaranteed.
July 6th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Thome’s money is off the books next year. I see no reason why they wouldn’t sign Durbin and Hamels to extensions now (though they’ll undoubtedly keep feeding Hamels peanuts until he’s eligible to leave and, most likely, does leave). No reason to give K-How an extension; he’s with us through 2010, which gives us two years to try to win it all with him before we have to move him to the AL for a pitcher THEN, but not now.
Burrell is the enigma, but it depends on how much he’s willing to take (i.e. possible hometown discount) and what they have to pay the top-of-the-rotation starter we’re all hoping they get. Not to mention what options for a replacement present themselves (an everyday Jenkins doesn’t do it for me).
Either way, this is good news.
July 6th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I really hope this doesn’t mean Burrell is gone. We aren’t going to be able to find a power righty anywhere else.
July 6th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
R.E. Lewisauce - Thome’s money.
I thought that money was off the books already?
July 6th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Brian Michael says…”He (Howard) has a lot to prove before his next contract is signed.”
Another curious hit and run question from Mr. Michael. What does Howard have to prove? Sure, we all like to see Howard cut down on his strikeouts and improve his BA and OBP. However, that is of lesser concern(s) to me than his fulfilling the primary role of a 4 hole hitter in the lineup. Brian, what do think is the main responsibility for Howard in the lineup?
The obvious answer is to drive in runs for which there is no one better than Howard in the NL. He leads the league with 76 RBIs. 64 of those RBIs came with runner on base (56 with RISP). He leads ALL hitters in the lineup with a .340 BA for RISP.
Personally, I’ll tolerate his strikeouts and low BA so long as he delivers in the clutch as he done all season.
July 6th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Freaking awesome! I have only been calling for this move on this post since May 1. Signing Lidge is definitely key and we don’t have to worry about who will be closing for us! I say, convince the Indians that like Lidge, Myers just needs a change of scenery and put him in the package for CC along with Donald, and another prospect (not Marson) and off we go!
I would even trade Victorino, Myers and Donald for CC and hopefully the Indians bite. There is a good article on foxsports.com that lists us as being the darkhorses and Gillick’s stealth move of snagging David Cone who pitched them to the WS that year. He will do it again….
July 6th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Next year theyll have 7mm from thome and 2+mm from helms off the books. also, if they trade myers thats 12mm off the books next year. that would seem obvious because theyre not going to pay a setup man 12mm. so hes definitely gone this year or at the winter meetings.
so thats basically 20mm freed up. that will get you chad durbin and pat burrell. if they trade for starter that money has to be taken into account. sabathia is worth 20mm per year, but ill bet they take the draft picks for him if they trade for him. werth and victorino will get salary boosts.
um, they HAVE to get rid of geoff jenkins. next year he will make 6.75mm, WaY too much for the garbage performances he turns in. he has an 8mm option for 2010. just a terrible contract. they have to liverate themselves of some of that. im thinking theyll have to pay at least half his salary to someone to get him out of here in the offseason.
you seriously cannot bring him back for that amount of money, he isnt worth 1mm let alone 7.
feliz is actually signed cheaply 3mm this year, 5mm next year, club option for 2010. theyre hoping hewitt or someone will be prepared to replace him by then. considering his defense and rbi numbers, i can live with that for another season or two. thats a decent contract actually.
if so taguchi is still on the team after this year, he has an option for next year which can be bought out for 125k (see ya pal).
so, theyll have some money next year if they take the right steps to keep a few more guys and jettison some garbage that is still floating around the payroll.
July 6th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
ive been hard on howard earlier this season but when you look up and he leads the national league in rbis and is one behind chase for the homerun lead while hitting .340 with RISP theres not much to complain about. hes been going the other way for a few weeks now and when he does that he drives in runs. theyll offer him a long term contract but i still think theyll end up going to arbitration again next year.
July 6th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Geoff, we’re going to have to eat some of Myers’ contract too if we move him (I’m not saying that we absolutely will move him, but right now, it’s the most likely scenario). No one is going to pick up his $12 million next year in a trade unless we shoulder some of it (or unless we get someone else’s overpriced bust in return).
I agree with you on Feliz: his contract is acceptable considering he plays gold-glove D and so far is on pace for exactly the amount of offense everyone thought he’d produce (in the area of 20 HR, 80 RBI).
And I agree on Jenkins. He is this year’s Wes Helms/David Bell/Lance Parrish. (Do other teams annually carry an overpriced loser the way we do?)
July 7th, 2008 at 8:49 am
That kid Hewitt is YEARS away from the bigs… he is just very athletic, and every team except the Phillies projected him as a centerfielder. The Phillies think he can play 3rd base, mostly because they need a 3rd baseman…
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