Nationals agree to terms with reliever Brad Lidge

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with right-handed relief pitcher Brad Lidge on a one-year contract. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

One of the game's most accomplished active relievers, Lidge is 26-31 with 67 holds, 223 saves and a 3.44 ERA (227 ER/594.0 IP) in 592 career games/one start.

In 10 seasons with the Phillies (2008-11) and Astros (2002-07), Lidge has fanned over 31 percent of all batters faced and his strikeout rate of 12.0 per 9.0 innings is the highest all-time among pitchers to throw at least 500 big league innings.   

Lidge is a two-time National League All-Star (2005, '08) and was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2008 after posting 41 saves and a 1.95 ERA in 72 appearances with the Phillies. In 2008, including the Phillies' post-season run which culminated in a World Championship, Lidge did not suffer a single blown save in 48 chances.                                                                                                                                                         

Lidge has four times tallied 30 or more saves in a season and his 157-strikeout campaign of 2004 established a new National League single-season mark for strikeouts in relief.

Lidge was drafted by Houston with the 17th-overall selection in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Notre Dame.

With the addition of Lidge, the Nationals' 40-man roster currently stands at 37.