"Ryan Madson is Ryan Madson," Dubee said at the end of spring training. "What did he do, take a crash course in how to close or something?"
Apparently he did. Remove one horrible night in Washington from Madson's ledger and he allowed 10 runs in 60 innings. That's a 1.50 ERA.
Now, that original decision is worth revisiting. Madson is a free agent. The Phillies would like him back in 2012, but the love is conditional. Ruben Amaro Jr. has said few definitive things since the season ended, but one was his desire for a "proven closer" - Madson or not.
"I don't feel comfortable with the guys we have internally," Amaro said. "If Ryan does not sign, we might have to go outside the organization. There are some people in our system who think [Justin] De Fratus or [Phillippe] Aumont can do that. I am not convinced of that yet."
The irony, of course, is that Madson did not fit the bill of "proven closer" before 2011. He was not the staff's first choice to replace Brad Lidge last spring. He is proof, effectively, that good stuff plays the same in the eighth or ninth inning.
Madson will cash in on that success. But the Phillies will not offer the 31-year-old righthander more than a three-year contract. (In the middle of a magical 2008, the offer to a 31-year-old Lidge was three years plus a fourth-year $12.5 million option that will be declined without fanfare in the next week.)
The only pitcher the Phillies have offered more than three guaranteed years to in the Pat Gillick-influenced era is Cliff Lee. Cole Hamels could (should) be the next to receive such honor.
A reliever will not.
