Wednesday Morning Rangers Notes: The Return Of Eddie G.

Eddie Guardado (pictured) measurably brightens the Rangers' 2009 bullpen outlook.It's not exactly the "front page of the sports section" signing that most diehard Texas Rangers fans have been incessantly clamoring for this winter, but it's a signing that makes considerable sense on paper, and a signing that needed to happen in light of the club's frightful deficiency in adequate, major league-quality relief depth, which was only further exacerbated by the untimely demise of right-hander Joaquin Benoit last week.

Eddie Guardado does not embody a front-line acquisition the same way a (healthy) Ben Sheets or a Zach Greinke or a Ricky Nolasco might have, but he does represent a known quantity -- as well as a stabilizing veteran presence who apparently commands a great deal of respect in the clubhouse -- at a time when the perpetually pitching-starved Rangers are still looking to quietly improve their 2009 product without relinquishing inordinately large piles of cash or talent in the process.

Officially inked to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training on Tuesday after what seemed like months of back-and-forth expressions of mutual interest, the 38-year-old Guardado will earn a base salary of $1 million if he makes the Opening Day roster, and could bank more than $3 million altogether if he attains all of his performance incentives, which are reportedly based on the number of games he finishes in 2009:

"I feel a lot better than I did last year (coming off Tommy John surgery in 2007 going into 2008). Everything is good. I'm excited to go back and hopefully we can do something in Texas. Like anything else, we've got to work. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"I know what I can do and I see myself in the seventh or eighth inning. But that's not my decision. Whenever the skip calls down and the phone rings, I'll get up and get ready to pitch. I'm there to help out the young guys too and hopefully get them better."

Barring an unforeseen and unyieldingly catastrophic spring meltdown from Guardado, or an absolutely spectacular showing from one of the two outcast left-handed specialists -- Kason Gabbard and Joe Torres -- who had previously been positioned to claim the second southpaw-reserved spot in the Rangers' bullpen, Eddie will receive his $1 million, and will likely amass his fair share of medium- and high-leverage relief appearances on the way.

The upgrade, in that regard, is substantial; Guardado is no longer equipped with above-average stuff at this advanced stage in his career (which is reflected by the 5.8 percent swinging strike rate he compiled with the Rangers in 2008, good for the fifth-lowest mark among all qualifying relievers in baseball), but he's still adept at relentlessly pounding the strike zone and keeping opposing hitters off balance, and that's far more than can be said for the walk-happy tandem of Gabbard and Torres, neither of whom superficially appear to have much of a future in Texas (although Torres's minor league numbers are at least trending in the right direction, and he could conceivably make a Bill White-type cameo in Arlington at some point down the road if Wilson and/or Guardado are incapacitated for one reason or another):

LHP Eddie Guardado -- 2008 Regular Season Month IP K% BB% K/BB HR/PA Strike % April 3.0 7.1% 7.1% 1.00 0.0% 59.6% May 12.1 15.6% 8.9% 1.75 2.2% 68.2% June 13.0 18.0% 8.0% 2.25 2.0% 65.8% July 12.1 12.8% 6.4% 2.00 2.1% 62.1% August 11.0 13.5% 11.5% 1.17 0.0% 65.0% September 4.2 15.8% 5.3% 3.00 5.3% 64.4% Total 56.1 14.7% 8.4% 1.74 1.8% 64.8%

It's difficult to surmise what precisely derailed Guardado in August without extensively poring through his Pitch f/x data, though it's evident that an ill-timed uptick in bases on balls was at least partly to blame for the calamitous nine-appearance, seven-inning late-season stretch -- spanning from August 10th through September 3rd -- during which Guardado was resoundingly smashed to the tune of .500/.564/.676 by his opposition.

After a three-day break, however, Guardado returned to the hill for the Twins and proceeded to yield just three hits and a walk over his final 4.2 innings of the season. Were those struggles little more than the product of him hitting the proverbial wall in early August after being deployed with such great frequency by manager Ron Washington up to that point in the season?

We don't have the Pitch f/x data readily at our disposal to confirm that suspicion, but then a huge leap of faith isn't required to assume that fatigue was the main culprit behind his late-season ineffectiveness, and perhaps that's something that more responsible bullpen management could avert this time around as the Rangers attempt to hold together what's left of their already beleaguered bullpen with an assortment of chewing gum, paper clips and string.

Then again, the subject of Washington's bullpen management probably merits an entire post on its own.

Quick Hits: Don't miss Jamey Newberg's exhaustive Rangers prospect Q&A ... According to general manager Jon Daniels, Josh Hamilton will likely not be displaced from center field in 2009 in spite of recent conjecture from club president Nolan Ryan indicating otherwise ... Weekday Rangers radio broadcasts will be heard on 105.3 FM The Fan in 2009, providing unprecedented signal strength and sound quality for 31-year Rangers radio broadcasting veteran Eric Nadel and his new partner in the booth, Dave Barnett ... The Rangers are expanding the number of 2009 spring training broadcasts over the radio from 12 to 18 games, beginning with the club's Cactus League opener against the Royals on February 26th ...

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus suggested on Tuesday afternoon that with a "gun to his head right now," he would pick Texas as one of the four American League representatives in the 2009 post-season, though his subsequent commentary on the matter strongly implied that his selection was more a commentary on the shabby state of the AL West than an actual endorsement of the Rangers' chances of reaching the post-season  ... The Rangers have re-signed 35-year-old right-hander Bryan Corey -- the trade chip Texas employed to acquire Luis Mendoza at the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline in 2006 -- to a minor league deal, albeit minus an invitation to big league spring training ... Manager Ron Washington was honored at his New Orleans alma mater, John McDonogh High School, on Tuesday, which the city proclaimed Ron Washington Day.

Comments

[Craig Barnes]

Guardado is a pretty neutral signing in my mind. It's hard for me to get worked up enough to say that he's going to crash the team into the ground, but I doubt he'll be a valuable reliever. I have very Shousian feelings about him.

[Jason Parks]

In two of the three full seasons Shouse pitched for the Rangers he put up a 162 era+ and a 226 era+. If Guardado can provide production remotely similar to that he will be extremely valuable to the team.

[Jason Parks]

Jamey's Q&A.........awesome! If you haven't already absorbed his answers, I encourage everyone to check it out and soak it in. This is why Jamey is the best in the business.

[sprite]

Don't sell yourself short Jason.

[Robert Bolyard]

Yay for Guardado. So I guess you would pencil in him, Wilson, and Francisco into the bullpen. Who else? I would think Madrigal and maybe we go ahead and sign another guy (Cordero, Gagne) or go back with Rupe if he fails to make the rotation.

[JDolla$]

I figured up the 25 man rotation the other day, and barring a surprise signing of Sheets or Jennings (and even if Jennings did sign, I imagine it would be a minor league deal with incentives), and I came up with 20 names that should make the team.

1. Salty
2. Teagarden
3. Kinlser
4. Vizquel
5. Young
6. Davis
7. Hamilton
8. Byrd
9. Cruz
10. Murphy
11. Cat
12. Blalock
13. Millwood
14. Padilla
15. McCarthy
16. Harrison
17. Franky
18. CJ
19. Eddie
20. Feldman

I left off Andrus because I assume he'll start at AAA and will be called up early in the year. If not, he'd be #21.

#21 will be an infielder, so that leaves 4 open spots for pitchers, mainly bullpen spots. I would expect the leading candidates to be Jennings, Madrigal, Hunter, Mendoza, Rupe, Nippert, Diamond, and Gabbard. The dark horses would most likely be Strop or Moscoso. Any names I'm forgetting?

[JDolla$]

Oops - meant "roster" not rotation. Der.

[Rob M.]

JDolas$: Add Guardado, Turnbow, Nippert and Rupe to your bullpen with Duran as the utility infielder.

[Jdiz]

you left off derrick turnbow...

[JDolla$]

Hmm... true about Turnbow. I guess with any other team, a guy with Turnbow's checkered history would have to earn his way on the team with a strong spring training. But on Texas, you're right - he's probably going to be one of the setup dudes.

I'm curious that you think Duran will be the UT until Andrus gets called up. What about Metcalf?

[Rob M.]

JDolas$: Metcalf is limited to 3B. It would be in his best interest to learn 1B and also become serviceable in LF. I wouldn't mind Metcalf replacing Catalanotto and havig a true middle IF be the UT guy.

[C'mon Rangers!!!]

I know "Everyday Eddie" coming back has been laughed at on other sites, but what he brings in experience, is really going to help mentor these younger pitchers, and that's nothing to laugh at. Having a player/coach is a good move right now.

Welcome back Eddie!!!

[Jon Page]

I'm with Craig on Eddie G: not very excited at all. I was kind of hoping we'd go after Will Ohman or Denys Reyes for the LOOGY spot, but like C'mon Rangers points out above, part of the reason we're probably bringing Eddie back is because of his status as the "bullpen Yoda" last year - which, with all the young guys on the staff right now I suppose I can see the reasoning behind.

[Bobby in Bryan]

Since when are FM signals stronger? They certainly don't go out as far as AM signals.

[C'mon Rangers!!!]

If you haven't read Jamey Newberg's exhaustive Rangers prospect Q&A mentioned above in the Quick Hits section of Joey's post, well then your missing out. It's a Great read for any Rangers fan, thanks guys for directing us there.

[SMAGS]

I live in San Antonio. During the summer I could pick up the Rangers games on KRLD 1080. As result of the switch to FM on weekday nights, I won't be able to hear my beloved Rangers. Sad. Do the Rangers have plans to expand their radio network to San Antonio?

[Joey Matschulat]

Bobby: I suppose it's all relative...from Richie Whitt of the Dallas Observer:

The announcement that Rangers' weekday games will be broadcast on 105.3 The Fan means that 110 of Texas' 162 will be in crystal clear, high-definition radio on a 100,000-watt signal that can be heard from Waco beyond the Red River. KRLD 1080 AM, which has broadcast the Rangers' games on its 50,000-watt signal since 1995, will retain the club's weekend broadcasts.

SMAGS: Does this help at all?

JD: Apparently I'm not the only one that regards Eyre as irrelevant. It's highly unlikely Texas will opt to carry three lefties in the bullpen, so I guess Gabbard will be the backup LOOGY at OKC since he has an option left to burn.