As a Philadelphia Phillies fan who reads this story, all I can say is a big “phewww!” At one point this offseason, there was reportedly a four-year, $44 million contract on the table for Ryan Madson, who just came off a great year of closing for the Phillies.
Then, all of a sudden, they pulled the offer and within a day or so, Jonathan Papelbon was the closer in Philadelphia.
Madson bounced around from visit to visit with other MLB teams. He never got close to getting another offer like he got from the Phils, and he ended up signing with the Cincinnati Reds for $8.5 million for the 2012 season.
That money is in the toilet now.
Madson is now out for the year as he needs Tommy John surgery to fix his elbow (where else can Tommy John surgery fix a ligament?). The ligament in his elbow was off the bone, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“Tommy John for Madson. Ligament was torn off the bone. #reds,” he tweets.
Yikes. This is awful news for Madson, and worse news for the Reds, who now have to scramble to find a closer on their roster. Sean Marshall? Can Aroldis Chapman get his act together and use those fireballs for good and not evil?
Regardless, with all of the problems the Phillies have had this spring, fans have to be glad that they didn’t keep Madson.