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The Los Angeles Angels are close to a one-year deal with free-agent right-hander Ryan Madson, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:
Ryan Madson is close to a deal with the LA #angels. he is likely to be their closer.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 27, 2012
Heyman posits that the one-year deal will make the 32-year-old Madson the Halos’ new closer and push right-hander Ernesto Frieri into the setup role in Anaheim. If the deal goes through, it will significantly bolster the back-end of the Angels' bullpen, giving them Madson, Frieri, Scott Downs, Jordan Walden and Kevin Jepsen as late-inning options.
After a stellar 2011 season as the Phillies’ closer, Madson sat on the sideline all of last year with the Reds while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander only has one full season under his belt as a closer, but owns a 2.78 ERA and 9.6 K/9 rate over his last three healthy seasons.
