Free agent reliever Ryan Madson has yet to find a contract for the 2019 season. While he’s hardly the only one waiting for an attractive offer to roll in, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says that Madson is considering not playing at all and will be “extremely picky” in the event that he decides to suit up and pitch for a team.
The 38-year-old has seen varying levels of success in the majors over the last several years. After turning in an eye-catching 1.83 ERA and 1.99 FIP during his 2017 campaign, he pitched to a combined 5.47 ERA, 2.7 BB/9, 9.2 SO/9, and career-low 0.2 fWAR across 52 2/3 innings for the Nationals and Dodgers in 2018. The righty tossed a handful of innings for the Dodgers during their postseason run -- and appeared to regain some of his mojo in the process -- but was subsequently granted free agency after their loss to the Red Sox in the World Series.
Given Madson’s strong peripherals and compelling past performance, however, it would be strange if he didn’t inspire at least a few offers before spring training rolls around. He was said to be “generating a lot of interest” around the league last month, but hasn’t been connected to any specific team except for the Twins, who have since hired lefty relievers Pat Dean and Tim Collins and taken a flyer on right-hander Zack Jones. There’s no word yet on what kind of contract or team Madson prefers, or what extraneous factor might persuade him to extend his MLB career another year or two.