Welcome Back, Eddie Guardado

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 3:51 PM EDT Comment 41 comments

Twins pick up southpaw.

As we discussed last week, the bullpen-starved Twins have been looking all month for a way to improve their prospects post-starter, including picking up our own former closer Eddie Guardado.

Now, it seems, he's back.

LEN III says the Twins will decide today on who gets the boot to make room for Guardado. My short list on candidates include Craig Breslow, Mike Lamb and Randy Ruiz.

Click here for the official press release.

In return, the Twins are sending RHP Mark Hamburger to the Rangers, which is too bad because I'd love nothing more than to cheer for a guy with a name like that. Hamburger, 21, had been spending the season in Elizabethton with the Appalachian Rookie League.

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I wonder

who gets sent down for Eddie….Ruiz? doubt it. Everett? doubt it. Lamb? maybe.

I think it will either have to be Ruiz or Lamb. Everett will stay because of his defense I think…or maybe he could get sent down.

by 33MorneauMVP on Aug 25, 2008 3:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Eh

I don’t know that Guardado is actually an upgrade, but I guess another arm thrown into the mix isn’t the worst thing.

by Eric in Madison on Aug 25, 2008 3:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lamb

Its time to let go.

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 4:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Jon Daniels = Wimpy?

Guardado was acquired in exchange for minor-leaguer Mark Hamburger. I can imagine the negotiation:

Jon Daniels: I will give you a relief pitcher Tuesday for a Hamburger today.

Bill Smith: Done.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Aug 25, 2008 4:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

raw deal

he should have demanded a bacon cheeseburger

by snolls on Aug 25, 2008 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

This might say more about my taste in humor than anything, but that’s funny to me.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Aug 25, 2008 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha,

love it. That actually made me laugh out loud…

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not the only one with food jokes.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Aug 26, 2008 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

Hmmm, well, this is nice depth. if he keeps pitching like he has this year, it will help. But this is his first good year in several, so we may be looking at some regression from the 37 year old. His FIP is good at 3.74, but his xFIP is scary at 5.25, which is unfortunately very similar to the xFIP he put up two of the last three years. It seems the big difference this year is his fly balls aren’t heading out of the park (only 4.1% going out) which is very low and over twice as low as recent years.

So it looks like we may need to cross our fingers a little bit, but for now, he could help.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane

by AdamOnFirst on Aug 25, 2008 4:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

Another thing, he has been a great deal more effective against lefties, holding them to a .521 OPS against as opposed to a .721 OPS against righties, but he’s still nto as extreme as, say, Dennys Reyes.

One thing is for sure, our bullpen is pretty strong against lefty heavy lineups.

by AdamOnFirst on Aug 25, 2008 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Too bad

we have one of the most Lefty-dependent lineups in the league.

by JopeX37 on Aug 25, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dont get Rid of Breslow

Send Ruiz down to Triple A, he will be called up in like 4 days again anyway

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 4:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think that's the most likey scenario.

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Breslow??

Why on Earth would the Twins cut Breslow to make room for Guardado? Breslow has been a better pitcher by almost any measure.

by Nick N. on Aug 25, 2008 4:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How about Brian Buscher going down to Triple A

Especially with all the errors hes made lately. i think Punto can play third with Lamb Spelling Him

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

A couple of errors lately don’t make up for the bat he brought with him… which has been pretty good.

by Neil on Aug 25, 2008 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That won't happen.

Buscher’s been such a boost against RHP that there’s zero chance he goes anywhere. I really can’t believe that in any sane world that’s a better idea than giving Lamb the axe. One bad day doesn’t spell doom, fortunately.

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lamb

Lamb’s time is up. Everett is more valuable at this point. Buscher makes Lamb expendable. Only problem is the contract and it is kind of a big problem.

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because what the Twins do doesn't always make sense,

and if they don’t want to cut down on how many position players they have, he’s suspect number one. Nathan, Crain, Guerrier and Reyes are going nowhere, and they clearly don’t want to cut ties with Boof.

It’s not that Breslow is better than Guardado or vice versa, it has to be more about depth. Having said that, I doubt it’ll be a reliever that would go….but, if it is a reliever, it’ll be Breslow.

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I Really Dont See them Going With a 11 Man Bullpen

Either Ruiz is Sent Down untill September 1st or they work out some deal with Lamb or everett where they accept their Triple A Assignment and are Called back up on the 1st.

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ruiz

Unfortunately I believe it will be Ruiz that will be sent down. I don’t get it, he has played well and is the RHB that we need off the bench. Politics man, politics

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Eh Oh Well

Hell Be Back up in 6 days. no need to fret.

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Callups

With september callups, how much does the roster expand?

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think

it goes from 25 to 31.

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty sure the whole 40 man roster can play after Sept. 1

The catch is only the 25 man roster as of Aug 31 is playoff eligible.

"I don't care about feelings." - Lou Piniella

by natetheskate on Aug 25, 2008 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That sounds right to me.

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Waivers

I don’t recall if the Twins have space on their 40-man roster, but if not, they’ll have to pull someone from that roster as well in order to make room for Guardado. That pretty much rules out both Lamb and Everett as options for demotion.

This also means that whomever goes off the roster won’t be coming back for September call-ups, and might not be coming back at all if they don’t clear (or haven’t already cleared) waivers.

Of course, I may be misremembering, and the Twins may have space on the 40-man, which means they just need to pull someone off the 25-man roster until next week.

by dwintheiser on Aug 25, 2008 5:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Without Guardado

The Twins have 36 Players on their 40 man roster.

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

demotion candidates

The Twins face a bunch of lefties the next few days = keep Ruiz

Gomez could be a candidate for a breather demotion…….

Breslow would likely get claimed by another team if he went on waivers.

Buscher could be sent down to work on D and because of leftiesthe team will face the next few days.

Lamb or Everett could be released. (I suspect that Lamb will compete with Buscher next year for playing time if the Twins don’t fix 3B over the winter)

I am going to go with either 1. Buscher or 2. Gomez with 3. Everett the third candidate for a demotion.

by doofus on Aug 25, 2008 6:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Total nostalgia move

This move was definitely pushed on Smith by Gardy. That’s probably why he keeps trotting Guerrier out there even though his arm is about to fall off. So at the end of the game when Guerrier unsurprisingly fails again he can call up Billy on his cell and bitch and moan about how he doesn’t have anyone dependable. This bullpen’s success over the past 5-6 years has been so heavily dependent on one dominant set-up man that can come out 4-5 times a week and not feel it. Eddie was that guy several years ago, and not surprisingly he lost his effectiveness after he left and has had multiple injuries and surgeries. What’s to keep Gardy from abusing him now, whether or not he’s effective? Note to Gardy: Learn how to manage a bullpen better, you moron, and maybe we wouldn’t have this problem right now. Resting our hopes on some washed up 37 year old bum.

Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?

by caseintheface on Aug 25, 2008 6:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Injecting some facts

When have the Twins ever had a pitcher who came out 4-5 times a week?

There are 26 weeks in the baseball season, so at a minimum you are saying over the past 5-6 years the bullpen’s success has been dependent on one dominant setup man who has pitched at least 106 games annually? Mike Marshall did that – once. And not for the Twins. No one else does it, period.

And Eddie never filled that role for the Twins. When he made his career-high in appearances he was being brought in to get out a lefty and not pitching even one inning per appearance.

Are you claiming Gardenhire abused Guardado, and that’s why he had arm injuries? Guardado pitched his career- highs in appearances under Tom Kelly. Under Gardenhire, Guardado actually pitched less than an inning per appearance as a closer. That’s less than Joe Nathan, and Nathan and the entire bullpen have always praised Gardenhire for the way he uses them. They, of course, would know.

And with the exception of ’04, Nathan has always worked (barely) more innings than his number of apperances. So based on your theory, Nathan must be really abused.

And there’s not a pitcher in baseball who comes out 4-5 times a week and doesn’t feel it.

Finally, Bill Smith has never used a cell phone.

by Johnny Safron on Aug 26, 2008 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Joe C at the Strib is Reporting that

Mike Lamb has been DFA’d

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 6:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lamb

About time

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Link

Do we have a link for this?

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/christensen/2008/08/25/lamb-desiganted-for-assignment/#comment-51127

by Tony_O on Aug 25, 2008 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Contract eating

Ouch. Didnt’ think they had it in em

by WITwinsfan on Aug 25, 2008 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bad move

That’s another lost contract and he was actually starting to show signs of coming around too. In 16 August at bats he was .313/.450/.563. The guy actually knew how to take a walk and could be a solid pinch hitter for now. Then next year give the guy a chance to get a starting spot back. Bringing back Eddie was a stupid move in my opinion, now we’re just making more. If you’re going to drop anybody drop Everett, who you only have to pay for the remainder of the season.

by caseintheface on Aug 25, 2008 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the bullpen sucks lately and bringing back eddie will spark them and he has been good this year

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Gabe Gross= clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 25, 2008 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lamb's just

been so down this season that those 16 at-bats can just be ignored, whether bringing in Eddie was a good move or not. There’s nothing that Lamb can bring from the bench that someone else can’t, whether that’s the ability to take a walk (a 6.7% walk rate is the suck), experience (hell, Punto has experience) or playing third base (Punto, Harris, Buscher, half the guys in Rochester). I have more faith in Ruiz’s hitting ability than Lamb’s right now.

I’m glad the Twins cut Lamb, because even eating all that salary for next season, at least the roster spot is open.

by Jesse on Aug 25, 2008 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs