Report: A's hunt for bullpen help has them a 'legitimate suitor' for Madson
The Oakland Athletics are on an offseason quest to fix their bullpen, and apparently that means they're zeroing in on a reliever who had a much-needed career renaissance in 2015.
Ryan Madson, 35, missed the 2012-2014 seasons with a series of injuries but came back very strong this past season for the Kansas City Royals...and now the A's are one of the teams said to be 'in' on acquiring his services.
MLB.com's Jane Lee quoted sources as saying Oakland is 'square in the mix' for Madson, with another confirming to her that they are 'a legitimate suitor'.
In 2015, Madson was a key contributor out of the Royals' bullpen, posting a 2.13 ERA in just over 63 innings of work. His .0963 WHIP was the best of his career dating back to his nine seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Should the A's find a way to sign him, he'd essentially fill the role they had hoped Tyler Clippard would have in 2015. Clippard, dealt to the New York Mets in the summer after the A's plummeted in the standings, was supposed to be the set-up man ahead of closer Sean Doolittle. Doolittle, though, had a tough season injury-wise, forcing Clippard to act as the A's de facto closer in Doolittle's absence.
If Madson joins the A's on a free agent deal, he'd ideally be an eighth inning option that could also spell Doolittle in save situations. However, the A's will no doubt be battling other teams for his services...and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports indicated that they and the Los Angeles Dodgers are both vying for Madson at the moment:
If this becomes a bidding war, the A's aren't equipped to match the Dodgers' financial flexibility, in which case they would then have to look elsewhere for further bullpen additions.
