This is shaping up to be a huge day for Brad Lidge.In a few hours, Lidge is almost guaranteed to be named to the NL team for the All-Star Game, and this morning, he agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension. The deal, announced about an hour ago by the Phillies, includes a signing bonus, an awards package and a club option for 2012 that could raise the total value of the deal to $49 million. Lidge could've been a free agent after the season, but he said he feels comfortable enough in Philly to know he wants to stay here.
"Coming into the year, I knew that this was my free-agent year, but pretty early on, I started really enjoying everything here," Lidge said. "I understand what [free agency] could be like, but for me, this is an easy decision. I'm enjoying everything so much here. I don't know where I could go that would have a team with a better opportunity to get to the World Series, to win a World Series. For me, that's the most important thing, so where better than Philadelphia."
Obviously, the deal will has implications for Brett Myers, who now must accept that he won't be a closer with the Phillies. If Myers wants to pitch in relief, it'll have to be somewhere else, something I speculated about in our MLB Sunday notes. I asked Pat Gillick about that possibility this morning.
"People have drawn the conclusion that he would rather close, and that may be the case," Gillick said. "But let me put it this way: There's a lot of things in life that a lot of people don't want to do. But you're getting paid, and you've got to show up for work and do the best job you can. He's a gamer, and I think he'll give 100 percent whether he's in a closer situation or as a starter.
"We're kind of stubborn. We think that Brett can start. We don't see reason he can't start. If he gets his mechanical issues straightened out down there, I don't see any reason he can't be in our starting rotation."
OK, go ahead and discuss. Much more on this from me later.
Oh, and enjoy your Sunday!
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