Twins acquire Eddie Guardado from Texas [UPDATES]
Posted on August 25th, 2008 – 2:26 PMBy La Velle
The Twins have acquired lefthander Eddie Guardado from the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league righthander Mark Hamburger. The move brings back a fan favorite who helped the club win the AL Central division in 2002 and 2003.
Guardado, who earned the nickname, `Everyday Eddie,’ for his ability to pitch effectively for several straight days, is 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA and four saves in 55 appearances with Texas. He’s given up runs in four of his last five outings.
The Twins tried to land Guardado before the July 31 trade deadline but the Rangers’ asking price was too high at the time. Texas, at the time, was interested in one of the Twins’ nearly ready pitching prospects, like righthanders Jeff Manship or Anthony Swarzak or lefthander Brian Duensing.
Guardado, 37, debuted with the Twins as a starter in 1993 - at age 22 - and pitched for them until he left as a free agent following the 2003 season. He became a reliever in his third major league season and worked his way up the bullpen pecking order until he replaced LaTroy Hawkins as the Twins’ closer during the 2001 season. He saved 45 and 41 games the next two years.
He’s also pitched for Seattle and Cincinnati, but missed most of the 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery.
Guardado is making $2 million this season, and indications are that the Twins are picking up the rest of his salary, which is a little more than $400,000. Guardado also gets a $100,000 bonus for being traded to a AL Central team and a $250,000 bonus when he appears in his 60th game. The guess here is that the Twins will pay those bonuses.
Hamburger, 21, was 1-2 with a 4.17 ERA and 13 saves in 27 games with Elizabethton, Tenn., of the Appalachian League. He was named the league’s closer of the year and was named to the All-Star team.
It will be a great story if Hamburger reaches the majors - not because of the name. He was signed out of a Twins tryout camp in June of 2007. He throws in the mid 90’s, and the Twins official I spoke with on Monday said Hamburger has a good chance to reach the majors.
The Twins later today will announce the move that will clear space on the major league roster for Guardado.
Update: There are indications that the Guardado will arrive in Seattle in time for tonight’s game - but the Twins are still contemplating how to make room on the roster for him.
4:05 p.m. update: This will be my final update. Joe C. has unpacked in Seattle and will take it from here.
Guardado is on a flight from Kansas City to Seattle and will arrive in time for tonight’s game.
I mentioned above that Guardado will receive a $250,000 bonus once he appears in 60 games. I’ve been informed that he gets another $250,000 once he appears in 65 games. It’s still unclear who will pay these bonuses. There’s a chance the teams will split the difference. Guardado already has earned $1 million in bonuses this year.
He’s third in the AL with 23 holds. Opponents are batting .206 against him - and he’s holding lefties to a .172 average. Not bad for someone who’s hitting 85-88 on the gun.
He was on the disabled list with a sore shoulder earlier in the season but has had no problems since then.
In addition to the names mentioned above, Boof Bonser and Tyler Robertson’s names also came up in talks. Robertson is one of the Twins’ top pitching prospects, but was shut down recently with shoulder problems. He’s already seeing positive results during rehab. Robertson’s father, Jay Robertson, is a Rangers scout.
A Rangers scout clocked one of Mark Hamburger’s fastballs at 96 during a recent outing.
388 Responses to "Twins acquire Eddie Guardado from Texas [UPDATES]"
they traded one of my favorite names.
How long before someone complains that they gave up too much for Eddie?
On a side note Eddie is having health issues with his arm.
no one better complain about what they gave up. A roster filler in E-town.
Ok, solid move to help our eight inning situations. Giving up a rookie league pitcher for someone to help us win the central is a small price to pay.
Question now is to we go back to 12 pitchers or drop a p[ostion player (Everett)
In Mark Hamburger’s defense, he was just named the closer of the year in the app league and he throws in the mid-90s. He’s not a roster-filler. He’s not a big-time prospect, to be sure, but he’s not a bad player at all.
And it’s about time the FO dealt with the 8th-inning situation. Not a bad trade.
This move will get even better if Everett is the player removed.
Agree, but he is 2-4 years away from the show. This also tells us that there is no immediate help in AAA!
Rodeo-
I highly doubt it will be Minnestoa’s Everett to go.
100 meter dash who wins?
Eddie
Reyes
Fernando Valenzuela
Wonder how Everyday Eddie’s arm is holding up. The one time I saw him pitch, his fastball looked Livanesque. Still, his stats look good, and he’s a veteran arm. I would have preferred Chad Bradford, but this move is okay by me.
Too bad that Eddie has become a spare.
I thought it was a joke at first…
Twins trade a Hamburger for Guardado…
we have enough people with a 90+ fastball in the minors… thats a steal in my opinion…
“The Twins later today will announce the move that will clear space on the major league roster for Guardado.”
It was fun while it lasted, Adam Everett…
It will be fun to see Eddie in a Twins uniform again…
I have to say, I didn’t see this coming!
Eddie! Eddie! Eddie
If we traded a Hamburger for Eddie what did we trade for Livan?
I don’t know, I think I would have taken the Hamburger. I hear Dennis Reyes was looking for one!
Anyone have an updated scouting report on Eddie G?
Velocity, location, pitches, etc?
Is Everett the only expendable person on the bench?
“It will be fun to see Eddie in a Twins uniform again…”
Now, if we can only get AJ, Mienkiewicz, Hunter, and Santana back…we’ll be primed to make a run with the original group that pulled this team up from the ashes early on this decade.
Looks like earm problems to me (not) Has appeared in 55 games this year with very respectable numbers:
who’s gone everret or lamb? gotta think everett because lamb offers some (not much) pop off the bench from the left side, while we already have 2 shortstops in harris and punto.
I don’t think the Livan trade was for a Diet Coke…
mmmmmm……..hamburger.
Baah Baah Mike Lamb!
Twins do not have enough depth up the middle to dump Everett. Dumping Everett and an injury to Punto or Casilla would kill the Twins infield.
I’m confused. The Twins didn’t go after Bradford because they didn’t think he was an upgrade over anyone but somehow Eddie is? We already have two solid lefties in the bullpen so is one of these guys going to start pitching to righties?
Guardado has been pretty good against righties so far this year but Breslow has been better.
My guess is that Buscher goes back down to AAA for a week, and then gets called back on Sept 1. We are facing mostly left handed starters this week anyway, so he probably wouldn’t be starting much.
Buscher can go down for 6 days
I heard this rummored. Another nice thing is that he had TJ surgery 2 years ago…maybe he can offer some advice to Liriano as he continues to gain confidence in his arm.
Boof, Lamb or Everett which one is going, going, gone
Now the Twins have traded a Hamburger and the Wolves traded Mayo.
I am loving this move. It’s going to be great to have some additional help in the bullpen. Thanks for staying on top of it La Velle. Do you think Lamb is gone now? I’d rather see Everett leave…his arm is just too weak.
Boof isn’t going anywhere
HAHAHAHA Walter! Good one!
There is no way Boof is leaving this baseball team.
It’s going to be Everett. The Twins don’t need 4 middle infielders on their major league roster.
Everett continues to steal AB’s from Harris, which is mind boggling.
Reyes and Eddie are all multipersonalities of Fernando Valenzuella
Sorry to see the World Famous Mark Hamburger go. Do you think we can now get Beltre for a Bratwurst?
NO way Boof goes down, we are thin on pitchers already…sending Buscher down would make no sense, he has been playing above expectations other than the two errors last night…I don’t know about Everett, there is always room for a good glove…The upside to Lamb is that he can give Morneau some time off if needed and he is LH
Everett has to be the one gone specially with Tolbert returning in September
This just in…Boof is traded to Oakland for Dick Pickle.
rumor has it the Rangers wanted Fries and Shake but BS said no deal.
Eddie has a torn rotator cuff. He’s had it for three years. It hasn’t stopped him yet. On the other hand, you gotta think he’s a ticking time bomb.
Greatful for the trade. Let’s hope it is enough to help this bullpen. Any bets on who is going down?
i think it will be Buscher, he can use a humbling, due to poor D, and he can come back in a few days, no worries. He also isn’t that needed this week.
Buscher makes sense with 7 left handers in the next games. Harris, Punto can both play third. Although, it is time for Everett’s run to be done
Reyes and eddie could almost be twins.
Guardado has a torn rotator cuff?
Huh?
It has to be Everett, with Harris in the mix with Punto/Casilla, we have enough middle infielders…I think Gardy wants to keep Lamb around for some back up to Morneau
I doubt Lamb is going anywhere, he has a two year deal
I am guessing Everett goes with Lamb staying because of his left handed bat for pinch hitting, or maybe Buscher has an option left and they will send him to AAA this week because we have 5 or 6 left-handed starters to face in Seattle and Oakland and then they’ll bring him back for the Sept 1st roster expansion and then leave Everett or Lamb off the playoff roster. Because of the lefty’s Ruiz is here to stay.
I forgot about Tolbert, Everett has gotta be the odd man out here
Some people have mentioned that Guardado has a partially torn rotator cuff, but I haven’t seen it. I’d like to see a link, if someone has it.
I should have known something was up with all the In N Out burger talk on the blog. I wonder if it was a hint for us or just a coincidence
when is Cuddy coming back?
Thank you, Adam Everett, for your recent contributions to the team. Here are your walking papers, call us if you need a reference.
Did the Twins trade the Rangers a double double animal style for Eddie
Hamburger was traded because he was not consistent.
He was in ‘n out.
Twins should have gotten Metcalf from the Rangers inaddition to Eddie. He plays 3rd and is damn good plus he can crush the ball. Rangers do not have room for him this is from his grandfather who I play softball with in AZ.
“when is Cuddy coming back?”
We really haven’t heard much on that front lately have we?
Food for thought. Good pick-up. Now just have Go Go in front of Denny Reyes in the buffet line. GO Go gets sick and we have Reyes available in Seattle this time around.
I 3rd the suggestion that Buscher is going to AAA for the week.
2 reasons:
Penatly for his 2 errors on Saturday and we will be facing a Lefty in 6 of the next 7 games.
If you would have asked me this question a couple of weeks ago, I would agree, that it has to be Everett, but now, no way. He has proven him self to be an asset to the team, you need to send down Buscher. He is a JOKE at third. He can’t even pinch hit. Send down Buscher!!
Not so Original Kevin says:
August 25th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
when is Cuddy coming back?
2009
I like the idea of sending Buscher down for a week. Would the player’s union kvetch? Would that do anything to his pension eligibility?
Better be Butcher down…
However, now the Twins have one too many pitchers in the post season roster. They need to trim to 11 before the end of the month.
That was a steal of a deal for the Twins! (Too bad it didn’t happen a couple of weeks ago)
I have to say this is pretty sweet!
I don’t think it will be Everett. Buscher or Ruiz is more likely.
I never thought I would be happy to see the return of Everyday’s An Adventure With Eddie. Welcome back Eddie!
But if Buscher is sent down until Sept 1st, he isn’t on the playoff roster. Everett or Bass make the most sense, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Ruiz.
Send Gardy down hes just screws it up anyway
I agree with you Sweetone
Stacy-
Be careful there, I agree that Everett has improved as of late, but he has contributed far less to this team than Buscher has this year…let BUscher stay in the game and work out the kinks…it’s not like we are entering a series with the White Sox or something, he should be able to figure things out against the hapless Mariners
“100 meter dash who wins…?”
Make it 50 yards. And you’d still have to time these guys with a calendar.
Who gives a sh#t about what the players union thinks? If the Liriano situation has made Billy Smith gunshy about that, he should be fired.
If Buscher can’t play any better D, we don’t want him on the playoff roster.
Obviously Bass is gone and I’m an idiot. I hate mondays.
So, given that, and that one of Boof/Breslow is probably the guy who will not be on the play off roster, I suspect a phantom 15 day DL stint for Boof/Breslow.
sweetone,
“3rd the suggestion that Buscher is going to AAA for the week…we will be facing a Lefty in 6 of the next 7 games.”
Absolutely the right thing to do.
If only the Twins were as smart as you are.
Ken Williams was out-dueled by Billy!
Too bad the Twins gave up on Grant Balfour when he blew out his elbow. His is back to throwing dominant gas for the Rays and would look damn good in our 8th inning role.
Tony -
My friend, Bass is already in AAA
Boof, Lamb, they need to put one other player in the mix and it will be a BLT, along with hamburger.
Tony, Bass is long gone.
Boof, Lamb, Tolbert.
Could have used him yesterday to pitch the 8th inning. Better late than never. Go Twins!
That’s for correcting me after I already corrected myself. Keep rubbing salt in the wound.
The BLT boys
Boof, Lamb, Tolbert
And the restaurant boys
Perkins and Dennys
yea, I always liked Balfour
Sorry Tony, slow computer. Its ok, it is Monday.
Everett or Bass make the most sense…
I don’t think they can send Bass down when he’s already been sent down. But Manny used the sick grandmother excuse more than once, so yaneverknow.
Headline: Guardado deal falls through after he consumes hamburger.
Why not bring back “The Magic Juan” aka “El Gasolino” aka “Senor Smoke” Juan Berenguer back?
They should have made the headline
“Twins get Guardado for a Hamburger”
This would have received many more clicks
Buscher is going to make up some ground tonight, then tomorrow everyone will be singing like little song birds about how great he has improved…I feel this happening…I feel it
Tony,
don’t worry, I thought Hambuger was only an organization filler…. foot in mouth.
With playoff rosters about to be set, it will all depend on who the Twins want for the playoffs.
Option 1: Cut Everett. Tolbert isn’t ready this week and would not be playoff eligible. Whatever the reason, Gardy does not trust Harris at second. Cutting Everett leaves a second baseman, a shortstop and one combined backup for those positions for the playoffs. Doubtful the Twins will do that.
Option 2: Send Buscher down til callups. Buscher will not be playoff eligible.
Option 3: Cut Lamb. Lamb is gone and Twins eat remainder of his contract for this year and next.
Buscher needs to redo his throwing style. Even if he did it right now, it wouldn’t hurt his accuracy…
Situationer, don’t count on it. Buscher is dumber then a box of rocks. I would eat my left shoe before I ever say he is a great player. I would rather say Boof is a good pitcher and choke on my words.
When does a player need to be on the MLB roster to be playoff-eligible? I think it’s 8/31, with rosters expanding the next day. If that’s true, it eliminated the Buscher-to-the-minors-for-a-week scenario, as he needs to be playoff eligible.
It’s either Everett or Breslow who goes, and my guess is also Everett.
Good move. But it doesn’t make up for not getting RHP Chad Bradford, which would have been even better.
Everyday Eddie against Seattle this season:
7.1 IP, 2 H, O R, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 Sv, 0.00 ERA, 0.273 WHIP
not bad…
I have always liked Buscher because he’s a tough out, just saying with all the lefty starters coming this week its a good way to keep Everett around for when Punto does another head first slide into first.
Was the recent Hamburger really a double double animal style? Inquiring minds want to know
Twibnotes, cutting Lamb is a good idea. But I can’t see the Twins eating his contract for next season.
Buscher a “tough out” when??? Did you watch the games this weekend? How hard is it to count to 3!
I believe Ben is right though, Buscher cannot go down because he needs to be here 8/31, thus why the waiver wire is going to be busy this week.
It can’t be Everett. That would leave us with only two good defensive infielders (Casilla and Punto) to play three spots. Can’t have that coming down the stretch. Defense loses games far more frequently than does subpar hitting. I guess if they think Tolbert is the answer at short I could handle losing Everett, but I don’t know enough about Tolbert’s health or his defensive prowess to have an opinion about that.
Mmmmm. hamburger. Gaaachh.
The Twins are not going to carry 12 pitchers in the postseason….
A pitcher has to be sent down (or DL’d) for Eddie…
Boof or Breslow. Take your pick
I agree that Butcher should not be on the postseason roster and given that the Twins have way too many infielders on their 25 man roster, a Pridie for Butcher swap should happen before the 31; Pridie would be an insurance in case Cuddyer is not ready. If Cuddyer is ready, he takes Pridie’s spot in the post season…
Is it true the Twins offered Lamb but they demanded Hamburger?
Stacy, there have been plenty of times already where Buscher has got the job done with runners on base. Just look at his RBIs 38 in 50 games. That’s over 100 RBI pace for a full season.
ALright STacy, lets recap this Buscher discussion after this Seattle series…I have some faith in him…He gets after it and has delievered some key hits in the past
How is anyone suggesting Breslow? I realize that the Twins now have three lefties in the pen, but they’re all effective. Breslow and Guardado have both pitched to righties with success.
Breslow stays.
The Twins have a tough situation, but I think the right move is Buscher, for defensive purposes. It makes no sense to have two third baseman who can only hit RHP, and Lamb has the bigger contract.
I can see Everett going too, but then, as has been pointed out, we don’t have much infield flexibility. Casilla, Punto, Lamb, and Harris… Gardenhire likes defense and likes flexibility.
I feel bad for Buscher since he’s been a major part of this team’s surprising success, but he probably makes the most sense, and the two errors he made on Saturday may have cost him a chance to go the playoffs, if the Twins get there.
…in exchange for minor league righthander Mark Hamburger.
First Dickey, now Hamburger? I don’t like the chances of seeing Hunt in a Twins uni.
Too many cool names being dealt…
Also:
The Twins tried to land Guardado before the July 31 trade deadline but the Rangers’ asking price was too high at the time…
You mean the Twins were actually trying to land him BEFORE the deadline? But that flies in the face of EVERYTHING I’ve been lead to believe by the Vocal Majority!
I’m not excited about this…because Eddie was a heart attack waiting to happen while closing games. “Everytime Eddie” was what I’d heard on more than one occasion. Especially his tendency to go into a 3 run save and leave with 1 run.
Well, here comes the White Knight. If fans would’ve gotten everything they wanted, we could possibly have been looking at 2008 as a Twins closer reunion (Hawkins, Guardado, Nathan)
Guardado’s going to have to do a LOT to earn my trust back after the kinds of saves he came up with.
Isn’t Boof out of options? If he is, there’s no way he’s leaving or getting cut.
thrylos98 -
No way is Breslow going down
The Guardado trade certainly addresses the need to alleviate the necessity to overuse the arms in the pen. With his usage by the Rangers (1.31 pLI) he’s been in the same situations as Reyes (1.54 pLI) and Guerrier (1.33 pLI) but has proven that much more successfully as indicated by his WPA of 2.53 compared to Reyes’s 0.28 and Guerrier’s 0.33. In fact, the acquisition of Guardado gives the Twins a suitable compliment to Nathan (1.81 pLI, 4.35 WPA). The one thing to be concerned over seems to be the potential for breakdown for the 37-year-old who has seen his numbers fluctuate in July and August after having a very solid May and June.
I think the Twins just need to eat Lamb’s contract and move on. They have Buscher, Harris, Punto, with Tolbert, Hughes, and Valencia all able to play 3B in the near future. Also, what’s the difference between eating Lamb’s contract or having a guy make $3 million to sit almost everyday and maybe pinch hit once a week.
Ben,
Boof can be DL’d
I think the Twins will decide who to drop from the 12 man pitching staff later. Can you replace for any position on the playoff roster due to injury?
The Rangers told the Twins they’d gladly give them Guardado by Tuesday for a hamburger today.
The Situationer says:
August 25th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
ALright STacy, lets recap this Buscher discussion after this Seattle series…I have some faith in him…He gets after it and has delievered some key hits in the past
Ok, I will talk to you then. But if he stinks and we all know he will, you have to admit it on the blog, that I was right and Buscher plays “D” like my Grandma!
This will be an interesting roster move. The Buscher move makes the most sense with all the lefties coming up, but I would think the Twins want him to be playoff eligible. It won’t be Ruiz because of all the lefties the Twins will face in the next week. Everett or Lamb…Houston we have a problem?
Boof is out of options
if this trade had been made yesterday we could have gone Eddie/Nathan or Nathan/Eddie. Better options than Bad Crain.
The amount of hamburger jokes on this post is ridiculous
thrylos98 et al.
Just because the Twins have 12 pitchers now, does not mean that they will come playoffs. The deadline of 8/31 only sets who is eligible for playoffs. (25-man + DL guys + replacement for 60-day DL guys, etc). Rosters for the playoffs are picked from the eligible pool of players come playoffs. Thus, the Twins could end up with less than 12 pitchers even though there are 12 now.
Unless I am totally wrong…which has been known to happen. 
Keep in mind that Gardy has some sort of inexplicable man-crush on Everett, as evidenced by his presence in the line-up EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!
I just don’t get it.
You’re on Stacy…however WHEN I AM RIGHT, you have to admit on the blog that I was right and that Buscher is a true MVP candidate
Stacy: I think you’re to hard on Buscher. He has done all right in the field and has been a plus at the plate.
what happens if he is just mediocre?
thrylos98 -
You’re right, and I hadn’t thought of the DL option. But as long as we’re going to fake DL someone, how about Gurriere (sp)? He’s been pitching so poorly and has been so overused recently that he must have a strained shoulder or forearm right? We discovered it after he pitched on Thursday or Friday (whenever he last pitched)?
The curse of having too many good players….
Situationer,
DEAL
Guardado’s going to have to do a LOT to earn my trust back after the kinds of saves he came up with.
Hopefully, he won’t be needed for any saves. He seems better suited to the set-up role. Also, maybe this will make it easier to use Nathan in the 8th, if/when deemed necessary. At least then, if a save situation appears later, there will be an an experienced ’saver’ there, instead of someone with no closer credentials.
I hope the Twins send a message with this move…the first reliever to take the field (if not in 9th inning) when the Twins have the lead ought to be Eddie G.
No way is Breslow going down
We’ll see… It’s either him or Boof. Here is my take on a postseason roster:
1.Mauer
2.Morneau
3.Casilla
4. Punto
5. Harris
6. Young
7. Gomez
8. Span
9. Kubel
10. Redmond
11. Ruiz
12. Lamb
13. Everett
14. Cuddyer/Pridie
15. Slowey
16. Liriano
17. Baker
18. Blackburn
19. Nathan
20. Guardado (L)
21. Perkins (L)
22. Crain
23. Guerrier
24. Reyes (L)
25. Boof/Breslow
if you take Breslow over Boof you have 4 lefties and 2 righties other than the closer… that’s why I think that Breslow will be out. On the other hand. Blackie can be in the pen instead of Perkins… We’ll see
I’m just glad we didn’t give up Dome Dog
Patti,
Sorry hon, he is el stinko!
Don’t worry about the playoff roster…it won’t be set in stone on the 1st. All the DL guys will be on it, to give the Twins roster flexibility later.
Jake,
Everett was OUT OF THE LINEUP Saturday, for Buscher. After that defensive debacle, several people fell in love with Everett.
Why would they DFA Breslow? He’s been working out better than most of that staff…
Ben, I think it is a curse of having too many mediocre players and we just can’t decide which one of them will help the team more/hurt the team less
mediocre beats what Guerrier has been lately and matches Big Sweat and Crain.
T: “You mean the Twins were actually trying to land him BEFORE the deadline? But that flies in the face of EVERYTHING I’ve been lead to believe by the Vocal Majority!”
Actually, it does nothing of the sort. It confirms the Twins front office has known for quite some time they needed bullpen help, but waited until late August to actually DO something in an attempt to get it.
But don’t let me stop you from patting yourself on the back for (still) being completely wrong.
Neshek, Cuddyer, and Tolbert will all be listed on it
Breslow is better than Boof, bottom line. You have to take your most talented line up to the playoffs
Ultimately, we have to give BS some credit on this thing…it was the one glaring need this team had heading into the final stretch run…it may have took a wee bit too long (I think the Twins’ bullpen has coughed up three games in the last three weeks or something), but we got the job done.
Anyone expecting Mariano Rivera or K-Rod to be added to this bullpen was obviously kidding themselves, but the bottom line is status quo was not going to cut it…so whether or not Guardado turns out to be effective, at this point you have to say it was a smart and needed move, considering how bad things have been. This was a fixable situation (unlike Gomez’s recent struggles) and the Twins, at long last, decided to do something to fix it.
Nice going, BS.
Justin is right, I think some people are forgetting we can;t just demote Breslow, we would have to release him, which I think the Twins do not want to do, they would rather have him for the future.
What about Harris being sent down. Gardy does not use him anyways.
Over on the Rangers’ side, other than having mucho fun with Burger’s name, Ranger fans are mostly hating this and think their management is run by idiots and wonder why they didn’t get someone “good” from the Twins before the trade deadline.
It sure would have been nice yesterday if Gardy had looked to the bullpen and could have called in Eddie instead of Crain. Everyday might be an adventure with Eddie, but I like our chances a lot better today than yesterday.
Breslow is going nowhere, he has no options left and he has proven his worth and he’s a lefty than can pitch more than one inning.
No way on Harris, Double Man!
Welcome home, Eddie!
Actually, it does nothing of the sort. It confirms the Twins front office has known for quite some time they needed bullpen help, but waited until late August to actually DO something in an attempt to get it.
Chief, don’t forget the waiver claim order thing. This deal might not have been possible for the first-place Twins, because someone (beeatch-cough-sox) or someone else may have blocked it. Being out by a half-game is not all bad.
Thrylos
Boof and Breslow are going to stay and Perkins will be a starter in the playoffs as he’s been our most consistent starter over the past few months - 9-1 in his last 14 starts. Boof’s era this month is under 3.00 and Breslow has probably been the Twins second most consistent reliever (.207 BA against left handed batters and .224 BA against right handed batters)
When is the last 3 times Harris played in a game?
Pat won’t be back this year, read his blog.
Not a whole lot of pitchers who can throw 95-96. I think that the Rangers fans will grow to like this trade in the not-so-distant future.
Stacy, is it true your mom has it going on?
Couldn’t resist….anyway, Bob has a point…Gardy has to start playing Harris more!
Harris on waivers, if someone claims, try to get something? He doesn’t play
The best move would be to send Lamb and all the cash we owe him through 09 to somebody for a class A prospect. We simply need the roster spot.
Just think of all the quirky campaigns that just went out the window…now we have to listen to another ridiculious chant that is worthless (LEEEEEEWWW…hello, Lew Ford sucked…) EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE…that’s what people will be chanting for ONE game…his first. Then itll be “HELP US HELP US HELP US”
Pat (I love that name!) is out for the year. Stacy is right.
Does this mean Bonser will be left off the playoff roster?
I mean I know Punto is playing very well right now, but is it a wonder to anyone else how Punto has magically surplanted Harris during the course of this season as an everyday player while Harris has become the utility guy.
Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around at the start of the season?
What’s changed?
To me, that’s a Gardy-preference move, pure and simple.
The playoff rosters are something of a fluid thing. When teams have players on the DL, they are allowed excess time to set their rosters for the playoffs. I believe that players need only be in the organization on 9/1 to be playoff roster eligible, not on the 25 man roster. I believe replacements must be made position for position, meaning a pitcher on the DL can be replaced by another pitcher, OF for OF, IF for IF, etc. With Neshek on the 60 day DL, that gives us some flexibility. With Tolbert on the DL, that gives us IF flexibility. With Cuddyer on the DL, that gives further flexibility in the OF. I’m foggy on the specifics, but one example of this being used is in 2002, K-Rod didn’t pitch in the majors until Sept. 18, but was on the post-season roster. I’m sure the Twins know what they can do to maximize their options.
“Not a whole lot of pitchers who can throw 95-96. I think that the Rangers fans will grow to like this trade in the not-so-distant future.”
Talking to Hamburger’s college coach this past winter, it sounded like he was already getting burnt out from playing baseball everyday after just one year in the minor leagues. So he might not even continue playing in the not-so-distant-future.
Lets just hope this isn’t the same Eddie who walked imploded and walked in a run with the swing happy Indians on Friday…..
I believe it will be Buscher:
Rule 40 – Players Eligible for Post-Season
Players Eligible - Players who are on the 25-man roster, the major league DL, Suspend, Military, or the Bereavement List within a given organization on August 31 are eligible to be on that team’s playoff roster. Other players are generally not eligible to be on the playoff roster. However, if a player in the organization is on the DL on August 31 and still on the DL at the end of the regular season, that player may be replaced on the playoff roster by any player that was in the organization as of August 31. For example, any player on the 15-day or 60-day DL on both August 31 and the end of the season may be replaced by a minor leaguer who may not have been on the major league roster as of August 31 (see Jacoby Ellsbury in 2007). That replacing player does not have to be a pitcher if he is replacing a pitcher, nor does a position player have to be replaced a position player. Once the playoffs start, if a player becomes disabled he can be replaced by any player from the 40-man roster, even during the series in which the player was injured. However, under those circumstances a pitcher must be replaced with a pitcher and a position player with a position player. Additionally, the replaced player may not be activated for the remainder of the playoffs.
What’s changed?
You said it yourself:
I mean I know Punto is playing very well right now…
That and his defense has been far superior to Harris’ at SS and 2B.
matt,
if Boof and Breslow stay on the playoff roster, who is the pitcher than is not in it?
I say demote Go-Go. The guy clearly is afraid of the wall. If he makes the two catches versus the Angels, the Twins sweep the series. The guy adds nothing to the line-up.
The true wonder of it is that it happened in the middle of Harris being a doubles-hitting machine.
Jason,
It took me a minute to remember the song, too funny!
Naturally people are bitching about this move…
Why doesn’t that surprise me?
Virtually all of us have been clamoring for the FO to do SOMETHING about the bullpen. Obviously, the verdict is out, but this is SOMETHING, is it not? Eddie’s arm might not be what it once was (if it was much then, I doubt), but this has to be an improvement over Reyes and Crain.
I hate the fact that all day Gomez was told he needs to go down, please people, he is part of the reason the Twins are winning the games they are.
As far as playoff roster goes, I think Blackburn is going to be the pitcher left off of it.
He hasn’t been pitching well of let and his innings are getting up there for a rookie.
Another note regarding playoff roster, you can only replace a like player due to injury. You can’t replace a injured pitcher with a position player and vice versa.
It confirms the Twins front office has known for quite some time they needed bullpen help, but waited until late August to actually DO something in an attempt to get it.
So you’d have been okay giving up a Swarkzak or Duensing type player for Guradado?
Just wondering. I mean, I think you were one of those also also okay with Blackburn/Perk for Beltre.
Anyone hear a definitive answer on when Eddie G. will be available to pitch for the Twins?
Todd A,
Who is complaining? Only trying to see who odd man out will be
To me, that’s a Gardy-preference move, pure and simple.
When Punto is hitting .300 (ok, .294), he wins the contest, regardless of manager.
I am convinced Billy Smith and Doug Risebrough are related. This is the same, idiotic, I don’t want to spend money, at least we can tell the fans we tried move. It will do nothing to help the Twins win the division, just like trading for Simon did nothing for the Wild. What’s next, the Vikings trade for Wade Wilson.
YES! I can’t wait to chant EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE!!! and all we had to give up was a Hamburger?!?!? mmmmm…. Hamburger….
Thrylos - Blackburn will be in the bullpen. He has the most experience other than Perkins out of the pen and has not had a good month so far.
I really like Gomez. We were warned at the start of the season: He was going to mess up, and he has, at the plate and in the field. But he brings excitement to this team. I just love his wide-eyed young-boyishness.
Twinkie-
I think we have enough evidence this year that GoGO is not afraid of the wall…give him a break, even Torii Hunter messes up once in awhile
Virtually all of us have been clamoring for the FO to do SOMETHING about the bullpen.
TA: There’s trading to help and trading to trade.
It could just be I’m bitter for the kinds of saves I remember Eddie coming up with (3 runs to begin, 1 when he’s done), but I REALLY don’t like this move. I wouldn’t have liked Hawkins either.
There’s reasons the Twins got rid of these guys, and reasons they jumped around teams for a while (Hawkins with like four or five, Guardado with four or so).
Think of it this way. If this had been the offseason and Hawkins or Guardado was brought in…it would’ve been ripped about as openly as the Lamb, Everett, Monroe, and Livan aquisitions were this year.
For the sake of the team I want to be wrong about Eddie…but I just don’t trust the guy in a tight situation.
There should be no complaints about this move…
bottom line is the Twins had a definite need and they filled it…the only complaint can be that it might have come too late (at the expense of a few blown bullpen outings the last couple weeks).
We should be happy, folks.
Punto was NOT playing well when the switch was made and Harris’ hot bat was parked on the bench until it cooled and became but an ember of its former self.
I like the Eddie move! Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!!! Way to go BS!
“For the sake of the team I want to be wrong about Eddie…but I just don’t trust the guy in a tight situation.”
But for some reason you trust Jesse Crain or Dennys Reyes? Matt Guerrier? Are you joking…Eddie may not be Eddie of 2003, but Guerrier has never done what Eddie has done.
This is an upgrade, plain and simple. And a much needed one at that.
Lamb down for 6 days. He’ll clear waivers. Also, he’ll accept the assignment because the Twins owe him $3.3 million for next year. They won’t actually make him report to Rochester. He’ll be back (officially) on Sept. 1, and then will bwe left off of the playoff roster.
Bob, go to the top of the thread and start down. I’m amazed at the lack of baseball acumen from a few people who seem to yell the most.
Send Harris down? Get rid of Boof? It reminds me of a conversation I had with a co-worker who was so obsessed with the FO getting Liriano up the bigs a month or so ago he was willing to, honest to God, get rid of, in no particular order, Blackburn, Guerrier, and Perkins.
TA: I will agree however, that there is a certain “inconsistency” with complaints.
The players that the Twins passed up on were the White Knights, while the one they grabbed was a huge mistake.
Which is funny, because Guardado’s name has been bandied about for a while here by some commenters.
Like I said, Eddie strikes me the same way I felt about Hawkins when I heard his name come up. I just don’t like it.
Eddie G….this is a real reach, almost on the verge of testing the fans intelligence. I mean we still have a bunch of right handed stiff in the bullpen and this does NOTHING to help. But the Twins can now spin it and say they used all of their wisdom to pull off a fantastic trade to help with the playoff push. Gimme a break.
Kay: exactly right re: Punto / Harris dynamic.
Plus, I think it sends the wrong message and has a greater potential negative impact to have Harris sitting on the bench regularly.
That said, I back most everything Gardy has done this season. This might be the sole exception.
Based on my quick Google search, looks like Hamburger is a MN native (Mounds View/Mesabi CC). Good move by Bill Smith calling the bluff of the Rangers at the trade deadline and getting him for cheap. Hamburger might (emphasis on MIGHT) be a MLB player but he won’t help us destroy the White Sux.
Three cheers for Eddie G’s return!
Chuckles … Lamb might not accept the assignment so that he can become a free agent. I’m pretty sure he would still get his $3.3 million from the Twins regardless.
Twins did not fill a need. They still have the same need. The only thing different is we added another player who can lose a game for us.
Like I said, Eddie strikes me the same way I felt about Hawkins when I heard his name come up. I just don’t like it.
T…who would you have liked better?
Update: There are indications that the Guardado will arrive in Seattle in time for tonight’s game - but the Twins are still contemplating how to make room on the roster for him.
Blackburn is going to be the pitcher left off of it.&You can’t replace a injured pitcher with a position player and vice versa.
Given the latter, a pitcher has to go when Eddie joins the team… Given the fact that the team needs Blackie to start the rest of August, he will not be sent down now. The only move that makes sense is that a reliever (take your pick) is DL’d when Eddie joins the team.
Stacy is dumber than rocks……..
Update: There are indications that the Guardado will arrive in Seattle in time for tonight’s game - but the Twins are still contemplating how to make room on the roster for him.
Where did you get this?
Nevermind…I just scrolled up and saw LEN3’s update.
Punto vs. Lefties = .326
Harris vs. Lefties = .258
Harris has 12 Errors
Punto has 6 Errors
Punto’s slugging % = .421
Harris’ slugging % = .389
Harris’ ZR at SS = .762
Punto’s ZR at SS = .870
Punto’s OPS = .769
Harris’ OPS = .710
I wonder which one Gardy favors.
bottom of Lavelle’s blog, he just added it
John Q, don’t hold it back tell me how you really feel.
But for some reason you trust Jesse Crain or Dennys Reyes? Matt Guerrier?
IMHO, I don’t trust Eddie anymore than those three. Which is why (again IMHO) I don’t like the move. The Twins don’t need another Crain/Reyes/Guerrier.
Hawkins was able to go on and have success with his new team this season. Would he have done it here…I dunno.
It gives me some hope that Eddie can do it, but there’s still that nagging.
Even Eddie of old had struggles holding leads late in games, I seem to remember a tendency for the gopher ball (though that could be subjective memory)
I will give him credit if he’s able to prove me wrong (rather than move the goal posts like some people around here), but it’s going to take a few weeks worth of appearances to show me that. (See how I’ve set a marked goal)
If he can show me that. Then I’ll gladly cheer him when he makes his Metrodome debut.
Gotta get rid of Bass and/or Harris. Heck, drop em both and the Twins fans stress level will drop due to the knowledge that niether of them will be relied on in a pressure situations. These two have their roles reversed… Bass is a run producing machine and Harris is a strike out master. Can’t demote Breslow, he’s been far more reliable than these two hacks… Wouldn’t really mind seeing Lamb follow Monroe out of town either.
Fran … I would have rather them taken Chad Bradford - Since he was traded to the Rays - 1-0, 3 holds, 8 G, 7 IP, 0 R
Well, many on here have been clamoring for this addition, now it’s done. I hope he helps the team
Guess EDDIE is still owed 620K for the rest of the year yet. WOW! That’s just a tad more than I’ll be pullin’ in!! I knew I should have became a pitcher!!! DAMN!! Oh, well, probably not much of a market for an 82 mph fastball anyway!!
Why did we do this trade? We let, “Every other day Eddie” go for a reason. Terrible move I think.
i think duensing will be a help down the stretch. i hope korecky figured it out as well.
John Q: Because Stacy has an opinion? I don’t agree with everything she says but to call her “dumb” is just sexist and totally wrong!
Eddie has a 3.65 era this year better then all Twin relievers except Nathan,Reyes,Breslow this is a good move and very low risk stop whining!
Gotta get rid of Bass and/or Harris.
Wish granted. Smith traveled back in time to five days ago and demoted Bass.
I hope people are taking note of this by the way. Since the usual rally cry is that I don’t EVER find anything wrong with the Twins FO.
Actually if Punto qualified he would have the best ZR of any SS in the AL. Second: Jason Bartlett with .845. I would have never guessed that Punto’s ZR was so high!
You kind of missed point gatty. Harris was playing very well at the time the switch was made.
[…] Originally published by Twins Insider […]
Thank god… I was tired of sweating every time he came in wondering if the 6 run lead was enough of a cushion to prevent him from blowing the game.
edDIE! edDIE! edDIE! edDIE! edDIE! edDIE! edDIE! edDIE!
I liked Eddie when he was here, but realistically at this point in his career he’s best used as a LOOGY–but Reyes and Breslow are already somewhat redundant in that role.
His line is a bit deceiving, and if you look at xFIP he actually ranks out as worst reliever in the pen:
Player xFIP
Nathan 2.73
Reyes 3.63
Breslow 3.99
Guerrier 4.19
Crain 4.42
Bass 4.43
Bonser 4.46
Guardado 5.25
If you look at their L/R splits Breslow is the only one you want facing righties, and there are some sample size issues there:
Guardado .167/.233/.288 (vs LHB) .252/.319/.402 (vs RHB)
Reyes .211/.259/.276 (vs LHB) .279/.353/.410 (vs RHB)
Breslow .207/.246/.276 (vs LHB) .224/.333/.239 (vs RHB)
So in a LOOGY role Guardado may represent a minor upgrade from Reyes, but it also means Guardado or Reyes will be seeing more time against righties. Which is less than ideal.
The good thing is they didn’t give up much for him, but he also probably won’t do much for them.
WHere did sexism come in to John Q’s comment again? John Q’s comment is an ignorant one, but I just don’t find it sexist
Boof? Breslow? Harris?
You all can’t be serious.
I think it’s down to the Astro boys, and I’m definitely hoping it’s Lamb that goes…
Lamb should go. There is nothing he has to offer. Eat the salary and move on with the best players.
For all of you that say the Twins have four middle infielders right now, that is not true. They have three plus a shortstop (and shortstop only) of last resort, Harris.
Harris will not play second any more this year. It is off the table. He will only play short if two middle infielders are unavailable. For this reason, unless they find a way to disable a pitcher (I doubt it), Brian Buscher and his .300+ average is likely headed back to AAA for a week.
Everett was a premium defender, but the arm is just barely there. I am certain that Gardy values him on defense as he is.
Woohoo! In your face, Milwaukee!
Just curious why no one has speculated that Senor Sweat would be the one cut loose? Isn’t he an F/A after this year so they’ve paid him most of his cash?
The way the Sampler has been pitching lately it isn’t hard to look at Eddie’s numbers and see he is an upgrade. Breslow also has outpitched him.
What are the points that argue he is uncuttable?
“IMHO, I don’t trust Eddie anymore than those three. Which is why (again IMHO) I don’t like the move. The Twins don’t need another Crain/Reyes/Guerrier.”
Please enlighten us. What SHOULD the Twins do…continue running out the pitchers you don’t trust?
Or do what they can to try to improve the situation?
For the record, if this was coming on the heals of picking up Bradford, I’d love it. As it is, I don’t see how adding Guardado to the pen can really HURT anything, and you may catch lightning in a bottle.
Just like Houston did with Hawkins.
Well Punto is playing well now, so did I really miss the point?
thrylos,
As Twibnotes pointed out, the pitcher for position player portion only applies during a playoff series. You can do a pitcher for position player swap before or in between series.
According to the Dallas report, Eddie is 3rd in the A.L. in Holds, and actually leads the majors in Holds since May 27.
Coincidentally, holds are what the Twins need more than anything these days. Holds, and a serious reduction in E’s.
Stacy is just bitter because Buscher turned her down.
I think Eddie was leading in holds before he became the closer.
Everett was a premium defender, but the arm is just barely there. I am certain that Gardy values him on defense as he is.
Considering how close the Twins were to cutting him loose earlier this season…I can’t see them suddenly warming up to his presence.
Punto at SS, Harris at 3B through a playoff run?
I suppose….
Adding Eddie and getting down to 11 pitchers for the playoffs don’t have to coincide in the same transaction.
They can demote Blackburn (on paper) anytime after his next start on Thursday and re-call him prior to his start on Tuesday.
Can’t cut the Reyes sweat box… if you wanna argue that case then you have to consider Crain seeing as Reyes has looked better than Crain this year
“Please enlighten us. What SHOULD the Twins do…continue running out the pitchers you don’t trust?”
They could call up Korecky, who would be a better option than Guardado and would probably be the third or fourth best reliever in the pen. His absence from the major league roster is perplexing given the overall weakness of the pen.
Oh, joy. Leftovers.
For calling her “dumb” just because you disagree with her. I don’t see those remarks made to other people.
Guerrier, Crain, Guardado? Who would you use in 8th. I think they all are interchangable and it will help them all from overuse.
“For calling her “dumb” just because you disagree with her. I don’t see those remarks made to other people.”
He called her dumb because she called Buscher dumb. He just turned her silly insult back around on her. It may not be polite but calling it sexist is ridiculous.
Patti says:
August 25th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
John Q: Because Stacy has an opinion? I don’t agree with everything she says but to call her “dumb” is just sexist and totally wrong!
Patti, now you are stupid. For JohnQ to call Stacy stupid for her opinion is questionable, but for you to go to the sexist card is just stupid. Where in his post did JohnQ infer that Stacy is stupid because she is a woman? I must have missed it. I did gather from his post that he vehemently disagrees with Stacy’s opinion on something, but not that he is a sexist. Shall we treat women with kid gloves? or should she be treated like everyone else here?
You should be able to call millionaire baseball players dumb if you choose, espcially if you pay $40 to watch them play a game.
and you may catch lightning in a bottle.
Wow have the tables ever turned.
Isn’t “catching lightning in a bottle” the same phrase people rip on the Twins for using when they go sign Livan, or Everett, or Lamb, or White, or Sierra, or Batista, or when they trade for Nevin, or Boone…
Not to mention:
I don’t see how adding Guardado to the pen can really HURT anything…
Is labeled as the “typical” phrase of the apologist.
Did I wake up in freakin’ Bizarro Land this morning?
What SHOULD the Twins do…continue running out the pitchers you don’t trust?
Korecky is the only option I can think of, but mostly because I don’t think there’s really many options there. The Twins bullpen is far worse off than “one-arm”, considering the popular opinion is that there’s only two guys (well one…Nathan) that we all as fans can trust in a tight situation.
“Patti, now you are stupid”
No. She’s just wrong. Lets move on.
OK. Maybe I was overreacting.
Yes gatty, go back to the start of this - Jason’s post at 3:26.
Why did Gardy take Harris out of the line-up and park him on the bench at a time when his hitting was on fire and Punto had been playing so-so and continued to play so-so until recently? I recall at the time a lot of posters were asking the Strib writers to find out what was wrong (physically) with Harris as there was no logic in his being parked at that time.
I can’t beleive they got rid of Mark… Home Grown guy, went to Mesabi Range Community College on the range and led them to the State Championship… He is a 21 year old stud on the mound. Hello Prospect!!! I love Eddie but he wasn’t worth the prospect. Eddie is probably in his second to last year. 
You should be able to call millionaire baseball players dumb if you choose, espcially if you pay $40 to watch them play a game.
Who’s dumber? The one being paid millions to play a game…or the one paying to watch them get paid millions to play a game?
“You should be able to call millionaire baseball players dumb if you choose, espcially if you pay $40 to watch them play a game.”
And you should be able to call anyone you like dumb, especially if they toss out a pointless insult without any meaningful substantiation.
Or say if they think a statement is sexist solely because it was directed at a woman, even though it in no way relates to her gender.
Nice to see a decent effort/move made to improve the team THIS year. How can this not help.
It may not be polite but calling it sexist is ridiculous.
Sexism and racism get tossed around here way too much…especially since we’re all just names on a message board.
Eh, I see we moved on. Nevermind Patti.
They can demote Blackburn (on paper) anytime after his next start on Thursday and re-call him prior to his start on Tuesday.
They could, but methinks that a minimum stay in the minors after optioned has to be 10 days… unless there is a day off, that would have them start someone else on his spot.
Plus this has to happen today, not next Thu
OK, OK …
“Nice to see a decent effort/move made to improve the team THIS year. How can this not help.”
It may help if he’s limited to lefties, but that’s probably not going to be his role. If he pitches significant innings against righties his splits and advanced metrics indicate he’ll probably end up being a worse option than what was on hand. Which is impressive.
Good day to all:
This is great news! Everyday Eddie is back and will be primed to help the only team he ever really wanted to play for!
These stat lines from the Dallas Morning News should help cheer even the naysayers:
Guardado was 3-3 with 4 saves and a 3.65 ERA (20 ER/49.1 IP) in 55 relief appearances for Texas this season. He currently ranks 3rd in the American League with 23 holds, and leads all major league pitchers with 21 holds beginning May 27. Originally drafted by Minnesota in 1990, Guardado spent 13 years in the Twins organization from 1991-2003.
Seems to have worked out for the better hasn’t it? Right now, not two weeks ago, right now Punto is the better player. Even after Harris’ great play, his OBP is still a measly .321. You don’t know if Harris’ could have kept it up. Punto has a 13 game hitting streak. That is two weeks of good play.
Funny how the Strib has missed out and the Twins will miss out on a great local story in Hamburger, the next Joe Nathan…getting Eddie for the Nathan’s replacement is not a good trade.
They could, but methinks that a minimum stay in the minors after optioned has to be 10 days…
That is correct. Something similiar happened either this year or last year to a Twins minor leaguer. He was sent down, the next day something caused the Twins to need him back.
But he couldn’t be called up because he had just been sent down.
I think it was a pitcher.
Ben says:
August 25th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
They should have made the headline
“Twins get Guardado for a Hamburger”
This is a great idea. We are running with it!
Thank you Patti for trying to help. I don’t think John Q meant it sexist, I think he meant that he likes Buscher, and just like the both of us, we have an opinion on that too.
We may not agree, thank goodness, then we all live in Russia, but that’s what makes it fun. Thank you though!
Boof is throwing well these days, mid-90’s fastball from the set, and he’s hitting his spots. He’s gradually morphing into the middle reliever the Twins needed. Meanwhile, I think Guardado will push out Reyes. Both lefties, but Eddie is in better shape, pitching-wise. Right now Reyes is a liability. He needs to get his mojo back in AAA, like Bass and maybe Crain.
I think it will be Ruiz or Buscher to go down and I think they will still be playoff eligible. Someone can correct me if they think I am wrong but I think the Twins can set the playoff roster out of anyone currently on the 25 man roster or the DL so just because we have 12 pitchers up on 9/1 doesn’t mean 12 will be on the playoff roster.
My guess is that Cuddyer is on the playoff roster in place of one of the 12 pitchers and then if Cuddyer can’t come back in time for the playoffs Buscher or Ruiz can replace him.
T
You can always call somebody back in fewer than 10 days if it is part of a disabled list transaction
Thrylos,
While there is normally a 10 day waiting period, it doesn’t apply after 9/1 as the AAA season is over.
This move has been done by the Twins and many other teams in the past.
Even if there was a 10 day waiting period, the Twins have an off day on Monday (9/1), so the could move everyone up a day and add Blackburn to the back end of the rotation.
No it doesn’t have to happen today, they can send down Buscher to make room for Eddie (Buscher won’t play the rest of the week anyway), and do the playoff roster adjustment later in the week.
I wonder what the debate is like at twins HQ right now if it is so strong here…
just because we have 12 pitchers up on 9/1 doesn’t mean 12 will be on
that’s what it exactly means. You cannot replace a pitcher with a position player. This is the reason that they need to go to 11 pitchers by 8/31
rayreiner:
ERA is a pretty misleading statistic, especially for a reliever considering inherited runners aren’t taken into account. Guarado is sporting an abnormally low BABIP at the moment, which means he’s probably due for a correction. And it’s not like Minnesota’s defense is going to do him any favors.
A change of scenery may do him some good, but anyone expecting him to come in and be a key set up man is probably setting their expectations too high. At best right now he’s a lefty specialist.
To Stacy: 
I’m not having a good day and I’m a little too sensitive right now. Lol.
Bad Move!!!
In a couple of years time, should Mr. Hamburger make it and do very well, we’ll have to hear about it on these blogs for years and years…
Regards,
I doubt Hamburger will be the next Nathan. He is far from the majors. Plus he will be able to advance quicker in the Texas org. so it was good for him. While stats are helpful they do not mesure intangibles. I think Eddie will be very helpfull.
sweetone, it makes sense… still I’d rather have Blackie in the pen (or the rotation with Perk in the pen) over Boof in the postseason.
Thrylos,
I was wrong in the pitcher for player swap.
Before and in between playoff series you can substitute a pitcher for a position player.
During a series if a player gets injured it must be for a like player.
JD34-
That is correct.
See my post at 3:27 for MLB Rule 40
Stacy I like you…nice to have some female voices around here…plus I pretty much agree with all of your takes.
He’ll pitch in Texas stadium so when the Twins pick up Hamburger after he posted sub-par numbers with the Rangers it will be just delicious…
Wow….They gave up hamburger for some older meat…..
I agree we do not need Boof for the playoffs.
I don’t necessarily agree.
I think Boof has finally adjusted to his relief role and has looked really good as of late.
Eddie doesn’t do much for me. I’d rather have Korecky.
As for who goes, I think it will be someone who’s not playing. Lamb only gets into games as a pinch hitter, and he’s bad at it. Cuddyer maybe is not coming back this year due to injury.
“that’s what it exactly means. You cannot replace a pitcher with a position player. This is the reason that they need to go to 11 pitchers by 8/31″
Read twibnotes post again from waaaay up there. Only DURING a playoff series do you have to replace a pitcher moved to the DL with a pitcher. Prior to a series you can exchange a DL player for ANY eligible player regardless of position.
How late is “later today” when will the Twins make this roster move??? Any word La Velle?
If Hamburger does well will he change his name to prime rib?
thrylos98-
Read MLB Rule 40
We’re really resorting to calling others sexist here? Wow. That’s just… wow. That was a pathetic comment, but as everyone’s moving on, I’m not going into it.
I’m surprised that people don’t love this move. Eddie’s been excellent in the 8th inning this year (.198 opponent batting average in the 8th), he’s lights out against Seattle (7.1 scoreless innings, 6 K), and he’s got a 1.11 WHIP, and he’s issued only 17 walks in 49.1 IP.
Most importantly, he’s got a 2.61 ROAD ERA. If he can pitch on the road, he can pitch in our ‘pen ANY day. For the record, his combined numbers against Seattle, Oakland, and Toronto (our next 10 games…):
14.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 10 K
He got roughed up in one outing against Oakland, but he’s shut them down 3 other times and overall he’s been fantastic against all of these teams.
I love the move
Boof is so inconsistent. I do not think he is playoff ready.
“Boof is so inconsistent. I do not think he is playoff ready.”
The same could be said about 90 percent of our bullpen….good move, bringing in Guardado….now what will the lineup be tonight?
Another Harris benching against a righty?
Let me see:
the great Mr Hamburger is 21 and still in the Rookie league, where he has posted a 4.17 ERA with an 1.31 WHIP as a reliever. In the Twins organizational depth he is way behind:
Delaney
Slama
Jose Mijares
Armando Gabino
Mariano Gomez
Danny Vais
Van Mil
Jose Lugo
Spencer Steedley
Kelvin Mota
Michael Allen
etc.
Does anyone really think that it was a great loss?
How late is “later today” when will the Twins make this roster move???
This probably depends on when Eddie arrives in Seattle. The roster move will probably happen shortly before or after tonight’s game.
“A Rangers scout clocked one of Mark Hamburger’s fastballs at 96 during a recent outing.”
He threw 4 straight just last night at 96!
Just added a bunch of updates at the end of the entry.
Jason,
Tonight’s lineup is highly dependent on the roster move for Eddie and if that happens before are after the game.
Rainking,
Boof won’t be pitching in any meaningful spot in the postseason anyway (if we get there). And while he’s apparently a different pitcher now, and I don’t like defending him, he did a fine job in 2006 against Oakland.
Also, however, he will be on the roster, because he’s got enough upside that the Twins can get something for him in the offseason, rather than just losing him by placing him on waivers because he’s out of options.
“Danny Vais”
I’m guessing that Hamburger is ahead of Vais since Vais retired midway through the season.
Thrylos, this is courtesy of USA Today:
For a player to be eligible for the postseason, Major League Baseball rules require him be on the team’s active 25-man roster or on the disabled, bereavement, suspended or military lists before midnight on Aug. 31 of that season.
If this is in fact the case then the Twins basically pick their 25 man roster from 27 players (counting Cuddyer and Neshek) so they could in fact put Cuddyer on the roster instead of a pitcher and go to the playoffs with 11.
“I like mine with lettuce and tomata…”
Since the Twins didn’t really give up anything I don’t see how we can really complain about this move.
Wouldn’t it be 28 possible playoff players with Tolbert on the DL?
This is a good trade for the Twins, but I also think that the Rangers got a solid potential guy in return.
JD,
That also means that if Tolbert’s on the DL, then he can be eligible as well, so the Twins will be able to have the added infield flexibility.
In light of that note, I’ll put my money on Everett being the odd man out, though I still wouldn’t be shocked to see Buschman head down either.
JD34
But, if said player is on that list, and then can’t answer the bell at playoff time, he can be replaced by anybody who was in the org on 8/31. This is exactly why Cuddyer and Neshek will both appear on the roster. Neshek will be replaced by the hottest hand at the end of the regular season
“Since the Twins didn’t really give up anything I don’t see how we can really complain about this move.”
I don’t know if I’m complaining about it necessarily, I’m just saying it’s not the home run great deal people seem to think it is. At best it’s probably a lateral move. Not a bad gamble, but also not a game changer as far as the pen goes.
I did miss Tolbert and I think fcmlefty is right on about Neshek.
It said something in the article about how the Angels got K-Rod on the playoff roster in 2002 with this rule because he hadn’t been on the ballclub before Sept 1.
Perhaps this question has already come up and his been answered, if so I apologize — my question is, I thought the trade deadline passed?
Mike:
Yes the trade deadline passed, but players can still be traded if they clear waivers. The waiver trade deadline isn’t until the end of the month.
Mike,
The non-waiver trade deadline passed. In the month of August for a player to be traded he must either clear waivers, be traded to the team that claimed him or given to the team that claimed (usually a salary dump move, i.e. Livan Hernadez).
Guardado was place on waivers and either cleared are the Twins won the claim.
To go into greater depth for Mike, July 31st is the non-waiver trade deadline. After July 31, players must be placed on waivers, where any team can claim that player before it is ok to be traded.
If multiple teams claim a player, the team with the worse record in that player’s respective league (AL or NL) has priority. Once a claim is established, the two teams have 48 hours to work out a trade, or the player is returned to his original team. Teams also have the option of pulling the player back, or dumping his salary on the team that claims him.
A player may be placed on waivers a second time, but this is a big risk, because if he is claimed a second time, then he becomes property of the team that claimed him.
Players will clear waivers for any number of reasons, be it age, ability, or size of contract.
In this case, it was likely a combination of Eddie’s age and contract - the incentives LaVelle has talked about likely scared off some teams.
Notable waiver trades this year have included Paul Byrd going to the Red Sox, Greg Maddux going to the Dodgers, and the biggest one of course being Cincinnati sending Adam Dunn to the Diamondbacks.
It’s a weird process, and sounds more confusing than it is. That’s just a brief explanation of the process… you can look up all the details online if you want to read more about it. I recall Wikipedia actually having a great explanation of the process. I looked at it once when I was confused about a technicality in the process.
Thank you!
My son played with Marky Hamburger in little league through high school. What a great kid and family!! Marky, we wish you the best wherever you end up, and if it’s pitching against the Twins, I’ll still cheer for you (and I love the Twins)!!
idiot on ESPN radio is ripping Liriano’s agent due to his modest record this year. He is including the stats from the beginning of the year.
Stick to football tool.
SUPER!
SUPER!
SUPER!
Rog,
Just curious, where is Hamburger from? I know he’s a local kid, but I don’t know much about him. Thanks!
I read something that the Twins signed him in June 2007 after an open tryout at the metrodome.
Also, mlb.com already has a new eddie photo in twins regalia. Now that’s fast.
How about Eddie getting a $100,000 bonus for getting traded to an AL Central team. What a life, man …
SethSpeaks had a great article once on Hamburger: http://www.sethspeaks.net/120607c.htm
Grew up in Shoreview, went to Mounds View H.S… played for Tri-City Shark, went to a Community College in northern MN for a year. Has been a “lights-out” pitcher everywhere he has been.
“Walter says:
August 25th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Now the Twins have traded a Hamburger and the Wolves traded Mayo.”
Yeah but before that the Vikes got rid of Pepper. None of those go well with Lamb.
The suspended game is underway…
Yawn……Is this really the best they could do. Hope I am wrong, but I bet he fits right in with the current crop of give up leads staff. Yes, in that regard he is a good fit.
If the White Sox hit a home run, they win the suspended game.
Without Mark Hamburger, the Twins future is done…well done, in fact. Pohlad might as well volunteer the Twins for contraction again.
But seriously, it is great to see the Twins make a move and at least attempt to help the pen. Any word on who kidnapped the FO??
Sometimes I wonder if anyone even looks at the numbers…
Guardado’s got a 3.65 ERA and a 2.61 road ERA when he’s away from Arlington, which is one of the best hitter’s parks in all of baseball. He’s got a solid walk rate, and while he’s not striking a ton of guys out, he’s getting the outs he needs effectively.
Opponents are batting .198 off of him in the 8th inning!
I realize that a lot of people who are posting aren’t the regulars who clamor about needing bullpen help, and that a lot of those people are satisfied with the move (as am I), but the reaction is still surprising to me.
Eddie’s having a very nice year, he’s moving to a team in the midst of a pennant race that he’s already spent the majority of his career with and enjoyed very much. I find it hard to believe he’s not excited to be here, and that he won’t improve the back end of this bullpen.
Eddie has dominated Seattle this year, and I hope he gets at least 2 chances this series to show us it was no fluke. I love the move from the Twins’ perspective, and I love that Smith is doing something to help the Twins win right now, recognizing that we’re in the middle of this and we need to improve on our weaknesses. I’d have liked to have seen it sooner, but there’s a lot of games left, and every zero our bullpen puts up will help.
Top 13, sox are still tied
no new score after an inning in the suspended game… I hope it goes on for 5-6 more
Orioles get through the bottom of the 12th… let’s hope the Sox have some bullpen issues of their own.
Ugh, they let Juan Castro hit to lead off the 13th. Yikes. No surprise he made an out.
The Sox have Horacio Ramirez pitching… come on Baltimore! This guy was possibly the worst pitcher in the AL last year! Light… him… UP!
Funny how Reyes’s first name is spelled the same as the 24hr restaurant.
Joe got a new post… Lamb got DFA’d
FYI - the 2002 K-Rod playoff roster move is detailed at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2006-10-04-cover-playoff-rosters_x.htm
Top 14, sox are still tied
i am surprised they would trade a local boy! Plus, he is 4 years away. Be something if a he became a major leaguer teams doing what Twins do, raid their players!
Win Twins! Guardado do what you do best!
The only person we know that they waived is Bass. I would think they are waiving everyone of our relievers right now to see what kind of deal we can get.
That’s my quess. Some one is going to get claimed for a minor leaguer or a PTBNL>
Stacy:
Didn’t mean to sound sexist. Honestly, didn’t know if you were male or female. I have a male friend named Stacy. Just thought you were coming down pretty hard on Buscher calling him dumb. He made a couple of critical mistakes Sat and no one feels worst than him. He has also helped the club since being up June 13…..
He’s a great guy. Great team player. But I agree, no excuse for the errors. But he’s a person with feelings……
Believe me I know…….
There is a hilarious story on http://www.sportsonastick.com about Boof Bonser’s confused reaction the the Guardado/Hamburger trade
Steve From Fridley:
The issue some of us have with Guardado has to do with differences in how we evaluate players. His ERA has been pretty good this year, but ERA is pretty antiquated as stats go when it comes to player evaluation. And cherry picking opponent batting average, when batting average itself is also an imperfect stat, for a specific inning is also misleading. Relievers have a pretty small sample size as it is, and narrowing it down to one inning like that over the course of not even a full season is going to give you unreliable results.
Let’s take a look at some other statistics to get a better feel for how Guardado is pitching this year and for how trends say he should pitch in the future.
First of all let’s take a look at BABIP, the batting average for balls put into play against Guardado. His career average is .288, meaning of the balls that were hit into play against him 28.8% of those went for a hit. For 2005 - 2007 he posted the following BABIPs: .289, .342, .314. So far this year he’s posted a .240 BABIP. Now, the Rangers aren’t known for their elite defense (and neither are the Twins anymore), so odds are that this isn’t sustainable. He won’t raise all the way up to .342 but it does mean he’s been getting lucky so far this year and there should be a correction sooner rather than later.
Furthering the “luck” argument is his aberrantly low HR/FB ratio. Of the fly balls he’s given up this year only 3.7% of those have gone for home runs. That’s about 1/3 of his career average.
There’s nothing else in his statistics to indicate this is a real improvement, it would be a massive reversal of trend for an over the hill pitcher, and in fact his pitch statistics show he’s actually in the midst of further decline. He’s lost about 1.5 MPH off his average fastball from last year (and is throwing it more, not a recipe for prolonged success) and has also lost a statistically significant amount off of his slider and curve.
And I keep going back to his xFIP (adjusted Fielding Independent Pitching) of 5.25 which ranks the worst out of any reliever on the staff. Worse than Brian Bass even.
The point in all this is that Guardado has pitched well so far this year, but he’s pitching over his head. Stats like ERA are flawed when used to evaluate a reliever for a lot of reasons, most notably the fact that inherited runners aren’t taken into account. When you take the statistics in context and look at trends Guardado looks like a potential upgrade over Reyes as the team’s primary LOOGY, but if used outside of a situational role his splits seem to indicate a massive correction is on the horizon. One that will render him one of the worst parts of an already poor bullpen.
It’s a low risk move and I don’t have an issue with it, but the point is that it’s not enough.
I should also add Guardado has seen a decline in his K/9 over the past three years, decline in his K/BB and a rise in his BB/9. Despite his ERA that trend has continued.
Here is what I just read.. sorry if I missed the post earlier… Looks like Lamb is the odd man out..
“To make room for Guardado, the Twins have designated third baseman Mike Lamb for release or assignment. The Twins signed Lamb to a two-year, $6.6 million deal in December to be their starting third baseman. He struggled early in the season and lost his job. He was used very sparingly in a bench role over the past few months.”
Fire-accussing someone of whining,that’s like the pot calling the kettle black.You are hilarious(not)!
I just read that too. Come on, Joe!
Rick Aguilera has just cleared waivers…..
There is a hilarious story on http://www.sportsonastick.com about Boof Bonser’s confused reaction to the Guardado/Hamburger trade
[…] Originally published by Twins Insider […]
White Sox lost today!
i love this move this is huge our bullpen is our weakest link eddie is
not in his prime but he is an above average veteran set up man you can rely on and he will get you that tough left handed out you need late in a game.that god no more bass and no more bonser those 2 guys are terrible.im a negative guy but i really tip my hat on this move.
I see we are back to talking about hamburgers.
Last week they dropped Bass. Then they dealt Hamburger. And now Lamb is gone.
Guess they’re taking this weight loss plan seriously.
Gendo, you can trot out all the stats you want but the guy is going to be in the pen for the Twins. Whatever he does in the next few weeks is all that matters.
This was a move that really does nothing but add another lame arm to a lame bullpen. Was hoping for something a bit more exciting prior to the trading deadline that would improve the team. Guess this is a last resort, we gave it a shot Twins fans, move. Eddie is not the Eddie of old. Perhaps he will do okay in a mop up role.
Right, let’s revisit this move in 2 weeks and discuss his performance and impact on the team. For this fan, it does nothing but allows GM Billy Smith to remove the DO NOTHING title. Unfortunately this move isn’t going to exactly cement his position as GM of the year.
All i can say is EDDIE!!! EDDIE!!! I am so excited hes coming back! i loved him as a fan, he is all heart and is so much fun to watch! Hopefully he’ll come back and help out!!!
B2W: Eddie is no worse a pickup than Hawkins or Bradford.
Seriously…you wanted bullpen help, this is it. Pickings aren’t exactly ripe off the waiver wire.
As far as this being a lateral move, Smith gets credit for recognizing that this team is ahead of schedule and cutting placeholders such as Monroe, Lamb, and Livan. (He tried to dump Everett but Casilla got hurt)
He took a bit longer than I’d have liked (Buscher should’ve started the season so he could work out these issuse THEN rather than while racing for the pennant)
No way. The Twins traded away The Hamburglar??? Man. I’ll bet not even Ronald’s safe now.
BTW: Manship is an “almost ready prospect.” Whatever. LEN, do you know anything about the Twins system? I mean, other than what you read from their press releases?
Balls2Wall, you are one man that sees it as it is. Kudos.
For those who wish that the Twins had picked up Hawkins rather than Special Eddie, remember when:
1) Hawkins failed at closer because he could not deal with the pressure, and;
2) Eddie did a good (great?) job as a closer with less stuff, but the heuevos of a lion.
Eddie is still my choice if the game means something and Latroy is still my choice if the game means nothing!
Although it looks as though Hawkins has been nearly unhittable since he was moved.
Okay, so if ERA isn’t a good thing to measure pitchers by (which, funny, it always seems to be when the name Johan is mentioned) then someone please tell me what is???
And when will the Twins learn - Livo gave them 10 wins, 6 losses but otherwise the pickups have been duds. Monroe - out of organized ball, Lamb - Soon to be out, Bass - Should be out, Livo - Rockies now realize that a 12 pack of Coors was too much for him.
That’s sweet, the Sox lost the rest of that suspended game in Baltimore.
Lamb will be on a major league roster by September 1. He has a proven track record as a .280-plus lefty in a spot-start and pinch hit role. It just didn’t work here, this year.
Jake,
“Although it looks as though Hawkins has been nearly unhittable since he was moved.”
Hawk always had great stuff.
But he failed in the Bronx for a reason.
And he has failed many places as a closer for a reason.
IMO that reason is inability to command his stuff in pressure situations.
Its possible to calm down as you get older, and maybe Latroy has reached that age.
But Hawk’s Yankee performance didn’t indicate that.
Why Eddie? He may get people out but he doesn’t throw hard. Clearly BS & Gardy want guys in the 8th inning who throw hard (Crain) but can’t get guys out as opposed to guys who actually wrack up outs (Eddie, Bradford or even heaven forbid Nathan).
i wonder if PETA will step in and nix all these trades! BASS, LAMB and HAMBURGER! They can’t be very happy!
Sane–Just the facts, sir. I wouldn’t have given much for Hawkins or Guardado, and no one did, but you never know what you’ll get for a few weeks. It can be the best or the worst or middlin’.
Now that they have him, I’d rather see Eddie out there in a key situation over someone they bring up from ‘Chester for the first time.
This was a move taken out of the pages of the How to be a GM from Mr. Clueless himself, Doug Risebrough.
Eddie has a mutual love affair with the Twins and us fans. He comes up here often as do other former Twins playing on other teams.
One thing for certain, Eddie will give it everything he can to help the Twins win, just like old times.
Jake - thanks for not bashing Mike Lamb
This is awesome! One of my favorite Twins of the last 15 years!
I know I’m a complete idiot, but I feel like they CANNOT LOSE with Eddie on the team. Commence the bashing.
Like USAFChief said…Why complain about it?? If it’s the way many of you say, it can’t get any worse…..
And whoever just called him marky….Marky?? The guy is an adult not an 11 year old kid….
Glad I kept my Eddie card from WAY BACK WHEN… they still had the old uniforms…
Man. I’ll bet not even Ronald’s safe now.
You’re saying Darnell McDonald should be counting his days with the Twins.
I’m Skeptical about the long term payout of this trade, It would have been great to see another “joe mauer” on the team being that hamburger was a fellow minnesota native. the kid is very young and has a lot of potential. Eddie on the other hand is 39 years old w/previous tommy john surgery, how many years do you see this pitcher lasting?? All the while the twins get the courtesy of picking up all his bonuses!
“Okay, so if ERA isn’t a good thing to measure pitchers by (which, funny, it always seems to be when the name Johan is mentioned) then someone please tell me what is???”
ERA+ is a lot better than ERA. There’s no one single stat though that can accurately quantify a pitcher’s performance. You need to look at a variety of statistics–some of which are better at describing what happened and some of which are better as predictors.
You need to look at ERA+, BABIP, GB/FB ratio, FIP, LD% and so on to develop a complete picture of what happened and what should happen in the future.
“Gendo, you can trot out all the stats you want but the guy is going to be in the pen for the Twins. Whatever he does in the next few weeks is all that matters.”
So why discuss anything? We may as well sit on our hands and wait to see what happens.
1-2-3! Way to go, Eddie! That was pretty cool to see….what a blast from the past!
Check out the Newberg Report today… he has written an absolutely tremendous article on Mark Hamburger and the trade.
Well, that hurts alot is all I can say! If we dont make the playoffs every one of these losses to Seattle will haunt the Twins in the offseason. Go Twins, tomorrow is another day!
[…] in order to acquire Guardado, the Twins did have to give something up. According to LaVelle, the Rangers were asking for the likes of Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing at the […]
I read LaVelle’s article as: The Rangers “were” looking at those 3 players in July. They wanted Hamburger and as far as I read the Twins don’t owe the Rangers any players other than Mark. Can somebody correct me if I am wrong?? Thanks
[…] out I was wrong - the Twins did acquire former closer Eddie Guardado and they did send (minor league right handed pitcher Mark) Hamburger to Texas to seal the […]
Shaun: From MLB.com (transactions page)
Acquired LHP Eddie Guardado from the Texas Rangers in exchange for RHP Mark Hamburger.
So it looks like you’re right. There’s no cash or PTBNL involved with this deal.
[…] Comment on Twins acquire Eddie Guardado from Texas by ShaunI read LaVelle’s article as: The Rangers “were” looking at those 3 players in July. They wanted Hamburger and as far as I read the Twins don’t owe the Rangers any players other than Mark. Can somebody correct me if I am wrong?? Thanks. […]
I’ve heard quite a few of these jokes, most of them when I was in third grade, I hope they get better.. Thanks:)
