G-Man wrote:LBJackal wrote:G-Man wrote:Lidge on the other hand seems to be a prime candidate for overuse and may tire down the stretch.
I think this is over-looked a lot. Even last year people were saying he's being used far too often. He pitched 85 innings last year and is on pace for 93 this year. For a RP, especially a power pitcher like Lidge, that's too much.
Last year August and September were his 2 worst months; selling high after the AS break isn't a bad idea.
the interesting thing is that the astros MUST have realized that by moving dotel, lidge's workload would undoubtedly increase. that is why it is such a luxury to have a stud setup guy, allowing you to play matchups efficiently without abusing your most trustworthy arm in the pen. I would certainly agree with LBJackal that looking into selling high on lidge might not be a bad idea. plus there is always the chance that the stros realize the same thing and acquire a closer, allowing lidge to setlle back into his setup role.
I don't agree.
His spits from '03 do not look that bad. His ERA went from 2.52 to 5.46 but all other numbers stayed the same. His WHIP 1.16 to 1.28 and his K/9 10.49 to 10.05. It's a slight dip but it was his first year in the majors and he was coming off of an injury.
85 to 90 is about the right number of IP for a power releiver. Gagne, Dotel, Wagner, K-Rod were all in that ball park.
I like Lidge to do well and I think that the Astros are more likely to get a set up man than a closer.