2012 MLB Free Agents: Phillies Nearing Deal with Ryan Madson
By Editorial Staff
Yesterday, it was reported that the Philadelphia Phillies were nearing a deal with closer Ryan Madson. This afternoon, Jon Heyman of SI.com tweeted that discussions are now “serious” and that he finds it “hard to imagine” that a deal won’t get done soon.
Last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports heard from a Major League source that the Phillies were pushing hard to reach an agreement with Madson. While Philadelphia’s general manager Ruben Amaro wouldn’t confirm or deny the reports, he did tell Rosenthal that “it’s no secret” the Phillies need a closer.
This statement and other rumblings led Heyman to report earlier today that the Phillies are targeting Madson and fellow finisher Jonathan Papelbon this winter. Amaro told Rosenthal that he was indeed “talking to everyone”, but Heyman stated that the field had been narrowed to two.
This weekend, Madson’s agent Scott Boras confirmed that the closer was generating a lot of interest early on this offseason. The super-agent told reporters that his client and the Phils had “begun conversations” and were “having good dialogue”. Boras mentioned that Madson feels comfortable in Philadelphia and that the team is a “strong candidate” to sign him this winter.
According to Boras, he has no timeframe placed on Madson’s signing. Instead of worrying about when, Boras said he is more concerned about getting his client “a fair deal” and that “timing doesn’t matter”.
It sounds like Philadelphia has offered Madson something close to a fair deal, as an agreement could be announced later this evening. If so, Amaro and the Phillies would be able to check one thing off of their offseason list, allowing them to focus on their holes at short and in the outfield.
For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out That Balls Outta Here.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.