Keep in mind, that just because Michael Gardner was temporarily assigned to Double-A after his release from the Padres, that doesn’t mean that’s necessarily where he’ll end up. But considering the glut of pitching the Yankees have, it seems like a likely destination.
Gardner, who was a Rule 5 pick by the Padres, was 1-0 with a 7.11 ERA in six games for San Diego.
Last year, he was 3-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 44 appearances in Trenton. He also had a whopping 17 wild pitches, so take that for what it’s worth…
Guys picked unsuccessfully in the Rule 5 Draft have often seen their careers derailed as a result. For every Josh Hamilton, there’s 15 Lincoln Holdzkom’s.
Since their original organizations have planned for life without them, often there’s no spot when they return. It’s hard to argue that Gardner’s best immediate chance to reach the big leagues was with San Diego, as he’ll be hard pressed to get a spot on the 40-man roster like he had there, so let’s see what that does with his confidence when the 2008 season finally gets underway…
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
