Brad Lidge

Lidge missed the beginning of last season with an elbow injury and then really struggled to find his groove when he came back. Manager Charlie Manuel refused to demote Lidge, but he was eventually rewarded for his faith in his closer. Lidge finished the final two months of last season in spectacular fashion, allowing only two runs while racking up 17 of his 27 saves. Lidge has seen his fastball velocity dip over recent years which has forced him to rely on his slider more than ever. The final two months of last season give some faith that Lidge can continue to be effective despite his reduced velocity, but Ryan Madson will be waiting in the wings if he falters.

Lidge managed to rack up 31 saves despite a 7.21 ERA thanks to manager Charlie Manuel's never ending faith in his closer. It wasn't until the end of the season that Lidge lost his job, but even then Manuel was willing to try him in save situations. Lidge's strikeout rate took a dip last season but remained at a dominant level. His biggest problem stemmed from his lack of control, but a very high BABIP and a 1.69 HR/9IP also played a role in all the runs Lidge was giving up. Lidge hasn't displayed good control since 2005 but he has managed to put together some very good seasons since then despite the walks. His strikeout rate has dipped since his dominant days with the Astros but he still has the stuff to be an effective closer. All he needs to do is reduce the home runs allowed and have his BABIP normalize. Be aware, though, that he had elbow surgery in November and knee surgery in January. Lidge hopes to be ready for the start of the season but he could have to start the year on the disabled list if he suffers any setbacks leading up to spring training. Ryan Madson would open the year as the Phillies' closer if Lidge is not ready to go.

Lidge, the National League Comeback Player of the Year last season was phenomenal in his first year with the Phillies, converting all 41 of his save opportunities. Further, he posted a stellar ERA of 1.95 to go along with a 1.23 WHIP and led all big-league closers with 92 strikeouts. He was also 7-for-7 in save opportunities in the postseason and the only save he blew all year was in the All-Star Game, which clearly does not show up on his stats. He'll be a borderline top-five closer in 2009 fantasy drafts, but don't expect him to be perfect again this time around.

Lidge endured another rocky year in Houston, and it ended up being his last in the Lone Star state. He lost his closer's job before the first week of the season was in the books, pitched well as a set-up man for two months and earned his job as the closer back in June. He then blew his first save opportunity, and went on the DL with an oblique strain. A subsequent knee injury pushed back his return to after the All-Star break, but he came back and was a fairly reliable closer for the rest of the year. He ended up saving 19 games in 27 opportunities, and posted an 88:30 K:BB mark in 67 innings. The Astros traded him to the Phillies in November, along with Eric Bruntlett, for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Michael Costanzo. He figures to be the answer to Philadelphia's long-standing closer questions, freeing up Brett Myers to move back into the rotation.

Lidge appeared to never fully recover from the moonshot he surrendered to Albert Pujols in Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS. He did post 32 saves in 38 chances and had a 12.5 K/9 inning rate, but his ERA and WHIP soared to 5.89 and 1.40 respectively, he walked 36 batters, and he allowed 10 home runs. Manager Phil Garner even removed him from the closer's role for a short time during the season. He seemed to become too reliant on his slider, and there was talk around the league that he was tipping his pitches. He will return in the closer's role this year, and still has the stuff to be as dominant as he once was.

Lidge was not quite as dominant as he was in 2004, a fact more than made up for by the extra 15 saves. Lidge should continue to be a top-tier closer, racking up 35-40 saves a year with ERAs around 2.00 and a strikeout an inning. As safe a bet as there is in the NL.

Lidge was thrown into the closer's role after a midseason trade of incumbent closer Octavio Dotel. Lidge thrived in the role, confusing batters with his excellent fastball and two different sliders, and seemed near unhittable for the last few weeks of the season. Lidge should stamp his name as one of the game's elite closers in 2005, as long as Phil Garner limits the multiple-inning save opportunities.

Following the trade of Billy Wagner, Lidge moves up a notch on the organizational flow-chart. Lidge's health has always been the biggest hurdle throughout his career, but he managed to stay relatively injury-free in 2003. There's still a concern that Lidge wore down after a heavy workload early on, so the Astros will be watching his stamina closely in 2004.

The Astros' first-round pick in 1998, Lidge has shown considerable promise when healthy. Unfortunately, in his short career he has already had knee, rib, shoulder, and elbow injuries, to go along with a broken arm. The knee injury is the most recent – he had surgery in December to repair torn cartilage. He's expected to be ready to pitch by the start of spring training.