Ed-die! Ed-die! Guardado returns 2 PAGES

Ed-die! Ed-die! Guardado returns
The Twins, in desperate need of relief pitching, re-acquired Eddie Guardado from Texas for a minor league pitcher.
By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune
Last update: August 26, 2008 - 6:58 AM

SEATTLE - After a long search for bullpen help, the Twins landed a familiar face Monday, acquiring former closer Eddie Guardado from the Texas Rangers for minor league pitcher and St. Paul native Mark Hamburger.

Guardado, who turns 38 in October, immediately flew from Kansas City to Seattle and was in uniform for the Twins, wearing his old No. 18, as they played the Mariners at Safeco Field. He then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning after the Twins took a 2-1 lead.

The Twins clubhouse has changed a lot since Guardado left before the 2004 season, however. With Michael Cuddyer on the disabled list, the only active Twins player who played with Guardado is Justin Morneau.

"They ought to be afraid that Eddie Guardado's coming," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, a victim of past Guardado pranks, including scissored underwear and socks.

Actually, Gardenhire said, Guardado's character is a big reason the Twins wanted him back.

Though the Twins had blown another eighth-inning lead on Sunday against the Angels, Gardenhire wasn't ready to ordain Guardado as the eighth-inning guy.

"We'll see how he's throwing," Gardenhire said. "Rumor has it, he's been pretty good. We'll see how everything breaks down and mix and match, but he gives us another late-inning guy with courage. A lot of courage."

Guardado didn't have the typical closer's fastball back when he saved 45 games for the Twins in 2002 and 41 more the next year, helping put them in the playoffs in each of Gardenhire's first two years as manager.

In miles per hour, the lefthander's fastball typically hovers in the 85-88 range now, but he was 3-3 with four saves, 23 holds and a 3.65 ERA. Opponents batted only .220 against him (righties .252, lefties just .167).

Courage should come in handy over the season's final five weeks, especially with the Twins battling for a playoff spot.

"You can't back away from situations," Gardenhire said. "And Eddie doesn't back away from anything."




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To make room on the roster, the Twins designated infielder Mike Lamb for assignment. Lamb was under contract through 2009, so the Twins ate $3.8 million with that move.

Guardado has a one-year, $2 million deal, and the Twins are on the hook for just $400,000 of that, along with a pro-rated percentage of the incentives Guardado receives for innings pitched.

The Twins talked to Texas about Guardado before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, but the Rangers wanted one of their best prospects -- Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Brian Duensing, Tyler Robertson, etc.

So the Twins waited for the Rangers to place Guardado on waivers, which happened late last week. The Twins won the claim, giving the teams 48 hours to negotiate.

The Rangers asked for a veteran pitcher, but the teams settled on the 21-year-old Hamburger, who was recently named the Appalachian League's closer of the year. Hamburger, a former Mounds View High School pitcher who signed out of the Twins' annual tryout camp in June 2007, went 1-2 with 13 saves and a 4.17 ERA for rookie-level Elizabethton this year.

"It's a great story," Twins General Manager Bill Smith said. "We like Mark Hamburger. We like him a lot. We definitely think he's a prospect, but you have to give up something to get a major league player."





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