Lidge over Troubled Waters: Will the Old Brad Be Back for the Phillies in 2010?

As Phillies pitchers and catchers get set to head south for spring training, the big debate still surrounding the team’s rotation is why didn’t they keep Cliff Lee along with newly-signed Roy Halladay?

I have to admit, a rotation of Halladay, Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and J.A. Happ would have been the bomb diggity. (Did I really just say bomb diggity? You know what I mean—a force to be reckoned with in the National League.)

Hey, even without Lee, it’s still a pretty impressive group of starters. The key, of course, is going to be whether or not Hamels can bounce back to the form that made him World Series MVP in 2008.

Of course, while on their way to winning that World Series title in '08, Phillies closer Brad Lidge was lights out—41 times he was asked to save a game, and 41 times he delivered. In a word, Brad was rad, the first Phillies closer in team history to finish a perfect season from the 'pen.

In 2009, however, Brad was more like a Lidge over troubled waters, blowing a league-leading 11 of 42 save opportunities. That effort, by the way, gave Lidge the dubious distinction of being the first closer in MLB history with at least 20 saves and an ERA of 7.21.

So, what happened? Well, it appears Lidge had worked most of the 2009 season with loose bodies in both his knee and throwing elbow, which would obviously explain why the right-hander was missing some of the same pitches that made him invincible the season before.

The Phillies hope that offseason surgery will help correct the situation and return Lidge to the form that made him the DHL Delivery Man of the Year in 2008. This, of course, could also explain why the team did not go after a free agent closer this winter, not to mention the fact that Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel is extremely loyal to his players.

Lidge will throw this spring but probably won’t get the OK to go full bore until April, and if he shows early signs of struggle, Manuel will more than likely turn to Ryan Madson to close out games, especially since they now have Jose Contreras and Danys Baez to eat up some late-inning relief if needed.

Note: Despite his struggles in 2009, Lidge is still 10-for-10 in save opportunities over his last 14 innings of postseason play.