While not the most shocking news of the day considering he hadn't hit 86 MPH on the radar gun all spring, Brad Lidge going to the DL is sort of a big deal. Short of using Darren Daulton's time machine to kidnap 2008 Lidge, there really isn't a whole hell of a lot the Phillies can do to plug the 9th inning gap. Ryan Madson? Yeah, I guess he's the most likely option. While I love his stuff (especially those 98 mph fastballs that occasionally show up), he's had a handful of opportunities as a closer and let's just say they've been less than successful. He clearly doesn't like being jerked around between the 8th and 9th inning role. Jose Contreras? He looked great last year, but did he just catch lightning in a bottle?
Now if I was GM, this news would finally open the door to a guy who's been pegged "closer of the future" for about 3 years: Scott Mathieson. The guy has dominated hitters in the minors, but a pair of Tommy John surgeries have held him back. He's been average this spring with a stikeout per inning, but almost as many walks. His stuff is still electric and with the way the roster is shaping up, an injury to the bullpen is pretty much his only shot at making the team. It's a bit irrational, but I would leapfrog Mathieson over Madson and Contrereas right into the closers role to start the season.
In other news, check out Matthew Berry from ESPNs list of bold fantasy predictions for the season. I'm really curious where he got the name "Talented Mr. Roto" because some of these are so off the wall that you'd think he was just closing his eyes and picking numbers out of a hat for stats.
No comments:
Post a Comment