Everyday Eddie Coming Back for More
By
Amanda
Posted at 10:01 pm
The Reds have re-signed injured pitcher Eddie Guardado. From Reds.com:
The club signed injured closer Eddie Guardado to a Minor League contract on Sunday and invited him to big-league camp at Spring Training.
…
Guardado will earn a $500,000 base salary if retained on the Major League roster. The lefty can earn a $1.4 million roster bonus if he's healthy and is the Reds' closer before the All-Star break. An additional $1.2 million bonus can be earned if he finishes 30 games in 2007.There is also a $3 million club option for 2008 with no buyout clause included. Bonuses Guardado earns in 2007 can be added to the figure of his 2008 base salary, which could increase the total to $7 million.
Typically I'm not a fan of signing injured players (what's the status on the Majewski grievance again?), but I'm not hating bringing Guardado back aboard. He was awesome for the ten minutes the Reds had him before he got injured. I'd love for the Reds to be in a position to pay him $7 million in 2008.
C. Trent has some quotes from General Manager Wayne Krivsky:
“I’m not into the prediction business, but he’ll be ready at some point in the year,” Krivsky said. “Hopefully when he comes back, he’s healthy.”
And hopefully when he's healthy, he's good. We've got enough bad injured pitchers already, thanks.
I like this signing, but I don’t expect him to play this year. At least, not well. It takes a full year to recover from Tommy John surgery. As the Yankees found out with Octavio Dotel.
As I posted in the thread about Harang signing, there’s an article on the Enquirer’s website that said the Reds were going to have a look at Dustin Hermanson, who’s working out for teams in Arizona this week to demonstrate he’s healthy after having back problems last year. Now, IF Hermanson is healthy, then…
Hermanson has had some success as a closer. Saved 34 for the ChiSox in 2005. Saved 17 for the Giants the year before that, and made 18 starts to boot. A few years before that he was a starter in St. Louis.
So if Guardado comes all the way back and claims the closer role, it’s possible Hermanson could help in the rotation. After watching guys like Joe Mays get their brains beat in as #5 starters last year? Hell yeah, I’d take numbers like Hermanson’s 14-13, 4.45 with the 2001 Cardinals out of the Reds’ #5 slot in a heartbeat!
HMZ