Phils reportedly sign closer Papelbon

Ruben Amaro Jr. believes in the formula that pitching trumps all, and he reinforces it every chance he gets.

And, so, after acquiring the best available starting pitcher in his first two offseasons as the Phillies' general manager, Amaro pursued the premier closer on the 2011 free-agent market.

Two baseball sources said Friday that Amaro got his man when righthander Jonathan Papelbon agreed to a four-year deal worth $50 million, pending a physical.

The deal would make Papelbon the highest-paid reliever in baseball history in terms of total value, surpassing a five-year, $47 million deal signed by Toronto's B.J. Ryan in 2006.

Amaro would not confirm the deal, but before news of the agreement with Papelbon broke, the general manager reiterated his philosophy about building his team around pitching, a formula as old as the game itself.

"I think it's essential that we win the games we're supposed to win because of the commitment we've made to our starting pitching and just our pitching in general," Amaro said. "It's important we make sure we win the games when we have a late lead."

The Phillies, of course, were tremendous doing that in 2011 with Ryan Madson as their closer for most of the season. En route to a franchise-record 102 victories, the Phillies went 87-3 when leading after eight innings and had a major-league best 85 percent save percentage.

Madson, in his first season as the team's primary closer, converted 32 of 34 save opportunities and posted a 2.37 ERA. It appeared as if he finally had seized the role that many, including the Phillies at the start of the year, had wondered whether he could handle.

The Phillies had enough interest in retaining Madson that they started negotiations with his agent, Scott Boras, late last week. One baseball source said the sides had reached agreement on the parameters of a four-year deal that would be worth $11 million per season, but Amaro denied that was the case.

Obviously, the Phillies also were working on a deal with Papelbon, who has been the Red Sox' closer since 2006, converting 219 of 247 save opportunities while posting a 2.30 ERA. Papelbon will turn 31 on Nov. 23 and is a little more than two months younger than Madson.

Perhaps more important than his regular-season numbers are what Papelbon has done in the postseason. In seven playoff series and 18 games, he is 2-1 with seven saves in eight chances and a 1.00 ERA. He had pitched 26 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason before giving up three runs in the ninth inning of a Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in a 2009 American League division series game.

Madson, of course, also has a strong record in the postseason, albeit mostly as a setup man for former Phillies closer Brad Lidge.

A source said Amaro called Madson to tell him that the Phillies were going to sign Papelbon. Boras said Madson will not have any comment about the controversial negotiations that broke down Monday night until after he signs with another team.

Madson had been with the Phillies since they selected him in the ninth round of the 1998 draft. After pitching primarily as a starter while he climbed through the minor leagues, he eventually became a mainstay in the bullpen and blossomed as one of the best setup men in baseball.

Unless the compensation rules change with the new collective bargaining agreement that should be in place in the near future, the Red Sox will receive the Phillies' first-round pick in the June draft because Papelbon was a Type A free agent.

Madson is also a Type A free agent, so the Phillies may recover a first-round pick when he signs elsewhere. It's entirely possible that he could end up replacing Papelbon in Boston, although multiple teams reportedly have shown interest. We at least know for sure that his asking price is four years and $44 million.