Categories: IssuesPosts

Removing Lidge Would Cause Great Concern

Currently we’re being told Brad Lidge should be fine and just needs a few days rest. He could be ready to pitch tonight against Washington. Still, there is a sense of paranoia surrounding Lidge, since this knee problem isn’t anything new (it was the body part that received surgery before 2008).

If we remove Lidge from the bullpen, here’s the composition:

Closer: Ryan Madson
Setup: Chad Durbin
LOOGY: Scott Eyre
Middle: Clay Condrey
Middle: Gary Majewski/Mike Koplove/Tyler Walker
Middle Lefty: Jack Taschner
Long: JA Happ

Scared? You bet I am.

It’s nothing against Durbin (who was fantastic in 3.2 innings yesterday) or Condrey (currently ninth in the ESPN Cy Predictor), but their quick overuse has me paranoid. Moreover, while Madson has the physical stuff to save games, does he have the mental stuff? His trial run against the Nationals was a nice preview, but that was the Nationals. What about this weekend against the Mets, a team who knows Madson very well (though he does have a 2.89 ERA against New York)?

Point is, the Phils are already down one reliever (JC Romero) and can’t afford to lose another high-leverage specialist. It might suffice for a week. But a DL stint? No thanks.

So how could the Phils remedy things if Lidge had to hit the DL?

Maybe bringing up a young fireballer (Jason Knapp?) could be the crazy idea that might work.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.