WEDNESDAY, 1:22pm: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Dodgers are the most likely landing spot for Gagne, with the Rockies in the mix. However, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says a pedestrian throwing session yesterday makes Gagne a longshot for Colorado.
TUESDAY, 4:41pm: It wasn't long ago that Eric Gagne was in the midst of one of most dominant stretches a reliever has ever had. After disappointing stints in Boston and Milwaukee and a year in the Can-Am League, one thing is clear: Gagne wants to pitch in the majors again. Here are the details on his preferences and the teams that are considering him:
- Gagne wants to be a Dodger again, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. GM Ned Colletti confirmed to MLB.com that his scouts have watched Gagne throw, though the Dodgers have not yet made an offer.
- Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times tweets that the Dodgers' interest in Gagne has been overstated, but Gagne has another suitor if that's the case.
- The Rockies watched Gagne throw today, tweets MLB.com's Thomas Harding. GM Dan O'Dowd was in attendance with manager Jim Tracy, who used to manage Gagne in LA.
Honestly no team should bother with this guy hes way past his prime.
no one expects him to be Gagne of 05, but he could still be an effective reliever, IMO.
However, Id stay away from Colorado if I was him. He’d have to deal with the altitude and Tracy. Many Dodger fans, myself included, feel that Tracy’s abuse is the 2nd biggest factor for his decline, after the roids. He was given the ball almost everyday for 3 years and people were shocked that he blew out?
One interesting thing is if he still has his offspeed pitches. The reason he was so successful was not the fastball, but was the amazing changeup that he had to counter it. If he still has that pitch, he can still be an effective pitcher..
Abuse? Like when he threw 24 innings in one game?
Well what really jacked up Gagne was when Paul “I can’t believe he was ever GM” DePodesta traded Mota. Because the Dodgers no longer had Mota, Tracy was forced to use Gagne for 2 innings. I believe that might have been Dreifort’s last season as a reliever too. Darren was pitching well and DePodesta thought that the Dodgers could part with Mota. But Darren got hurt again and Tracy was forced to over use Gagne.
DePodesta is the one to blame for Gagne’s abuse. Btw, that trade the DePodesta made of Mota, LoDuca, and Encarancion did more bad then good. Yes, he did get a prospect that he then flipped for Steve Finley who helped push the Dodgers into the playoffs, but at a great cost. The Dodgers lost their clubhouse leader in LoDuca and then it caused Gagne to fade faster than Bret Boone.
But what its worth, I think that signing Gagne to a non-guaranteed minor league deal with a ST wouldn’t be a bad idea. Look at the Dodger pitchers that have come back and had a good year in their return when everyone thought they were washed out (Chan Ho, Weaver, Nomo).
You don’t think the fact that LoDuca and Mota were both juicers, and that at least LoDuca, were “off the juice” had anything to do with that trade? I think the only reason Gagne wasn’t traded as well is that Dodger Stadium would be a bomb crater if that happened.
Without the juice, Gagne is a minor league pitcher at best.
I could almost guarantee that there was a LOT more players on the juice than those named in the Mitchell Report. So, who knows if the guys the Dodgers were going to/looking to acquire were also on it.
But after doing some research, it looks like LoDuca getting off the juice did have something to do with him being traded. So you have your point there. But as a GM, DePodesta should have tried and get a bullpen arm to fill the vacancy left by Mota, thus causing the Dodgers to have to over work Gagne. In 2004 when the they had Mota/LoDuca and a healthy Gagne, they went 93-69. 2005, Gagne got tired and hurt his elbow and the Dodgers went 71-91. It cost DePodesta his job. My argument is that DePodesta’s trade hurt the Dodgers quite a bit and hurt Gagne. The trade was pretty costly to the organization.
That trade was a steal for the Dodgers.. Mota was a ticking time bomb and so was Gagne. The Vulcan change up is death to the elbow.
The team had NOOO Starting Pitching, none. Penny had a fluke injury and that hurt but he was a All Star pitcher after that.
The Dodgers had 3 options for set up man, Gagne was abused by Tracy.
Choi was Depo’s dream. Can’t blame him for that one, we had Shawn Green playing 1st for god’s sake.
Finley was a beast for the blue and provided one of the most memorable moments since Gibson’s walk off. He was got for nothing.
The 2004 team was greatly improved by that trade. If I remember right, Charles Johnson declined a trade to replace Lo Duca.
We had no chance regardless of beating STL, with Herpes Complex Gross pitching a Shut Out for the only win, you know there is a problem.. Sounds like lack of pitching depth, which DePo got for giving up Lo Duca and Mota.. who would of done nothing to help the team win in the Playoffs.
I firmly believe that trade was because they found out Lo Duca was juicing. Fans were angry that we traded Lo Duca, a fan favorite, but looking back, it was the right move. The Dodgers were trying to rid themselves of the roids. They couldnt deal Gagne as well though because, as someone below me said, Dodger fans would have rioted. They knew he’d leave as a FA after the season, so they went one more year. They didnt know he’d get hurt, but thats baseball.
It can be said that DePodesta was partly at fault, but Tracy could have easily sat him down more. I mean… 77 apperances a year for 3 years, many of multiple innings, for a closer with a changeup that tears apart the elbow… what did people expect? It wasnt if he’d get hurt, but rather if he would still be in Dodger Blue when it happened…
Yup! I wouldn’t touch Gagné with a 10 foot….syringe.
bahahahahahahahahahahahah 4.65 ERA in the CAN-AM league, what a joke. Hang ’em up, Gagne.
yea thats true but then agian that era was as a starting pitcher so im sure it will come down as a reliever, i would give him a shot to make the big league roster no harm done and no risk of fiving him a shot with a chance medium reward
Let me put it this way: canamleague.com/teamstats/quebec.php
Gagne’s stats from last year in the Can Am league are moderately good for a guy in the independent leagues. They don’t reflect what a major leaguer should be able to do a bunch of guys who couldn’t get drafted in the first place.
Good point, that.
Either way, the guy kinda scares me. Pass.
If the dodgers do pick up Gagne he will probly start in the minors, he was a starter in the canadain league he probly go back to the bullpin and maybe help out Broxten alittle, Broxten is a really good closer maybe they can learn from each other again.
Closer Broxten
Set up Gagne
Who know all he is asking for a a chance and most of all a minor league contract.
Closer BroxtOn
Retired Gagne
Did anyone read the ESPN article about Kershaw??
1 win in the second half with an ERA of 2.27. Crazy, right?
Don’t have insider… but I can imply from what I read that the title is a little misleading. If Kershaw keeps up what he is until 30 he’ll still be something Dodger fans (and other teams’ fans if he hits FA) will be drooling over. And if he improves his control… well Sandy Koufax is a name I’d use.
are you talking about how they said he might already be declining or something?
Alright fellas we need some copy and pasting.
Edit, I got what I needed from the Article thanks to 2 or 3 Dodger blogs.
Gagne playing the part of desperate ex girlfriend pretty well here.
I liked Gagne, even though he was terrible, I felt sorry for him in Boston. I would like to see him bounce back. He made some bad decisions with the PEDs, but tons have players have made that mistake in the last decade.
I’m with you, I like Gagne to hopefully it all turns around for him, what I read is that he is healthy and is giving it all he’s got, if people can forgive A-Rod why not Gagne, I would like to see him back in Dodger blue as the set up and maybe give Broxton a few pointers.
If we sign Gagne, Id love to see him teach Broxton the changeup. Broxton with a slider, fastball and change… wow
Just thought of something… could us signing Gagne and him looking OK in ST be a prelude to a Sherrill trade? Sherrill is overpaid and with Gagne is not necessary(hell, he isnt necessary now)… just a thought
I wouldn’t call Sherill overpaid. Even with the other setup guys, including/excluding Gagne, the guy earns his keep as a setup and “assistant closer”. The Dodgers’ starting staff has created the necessity for 3+ innings of quality relief the last couple of years.
Yeah Sherrill isn’t overpaid when compared to Lyon and the other crazy middle relief contracts, but the Dodgers would likely want to shed that real quick.
For the Dodgers, he is overpaid. We have 4 guys who have closer stuff… Broxton, Sherrill, Kuo and Belisario. Out of the 4, who has the worst stuff? And who is making the most? George Sherill. On this team, with this much bullpen talent, he is overpaid
“….A pedestrian throwing session yesterday makes Gagne a longshot for Colorado.”
Hmm….so a pedestrian throwing session for the Rox, and now he’s ripe for the Dodgers?
Uh oh….