Guthrie designated for assignment

[dpdad]

To make room on their roster (for Trot Nixon), the Indians designated right-hander Jeremy Guthrie for assignment. Guthrie, signed to a $4 million, four-year contract after Cleveland selected him with the 22nd pick of the 2002 amateur draft, pitched only 19 1-3 innings over nine games for the Indians last season and had a 6.98 ERA. He was out of options.

"It might have been a slight miscalculation on us on how advanced he was when we drafted him," Shapiro said. "He obviously had the stuff. He has the intelligence and the character. I think we underestimated maybe the development time necessary. ... I think we still feel like this guy has the ability and will be a solid major league pitcher at some point."

So essentially it becomes Guthrie for Trot Nixon. I just hate seeing the Indians giving up on 27 year old pitchers with good fastballs. Hopefully Shapiro can get something for him in a trade. But after the Brandon Phillips debacle of last year, I have an uneasy feeling about this move.

[consigliere]

Guthrie is a different situation. He is out of options, so would have been lost at the end of Spring Trainign anyway. I don't believe anyone would have been happy had the Indians broke camp with Guthrie in the bullpen, and he has no trade value.

Also, it is possible he clears waivers (possible) and accepts an assignment to Buffalo.

[British_Pharaoh]

if he had good control he'd be useful.

in the starts he made last year he was only forced out of the game due to his pitch count and the amount of walks he surrendered

[consigliere]

One of Guthrie's biggest problems is control, and is something he has struggled with for a long time.

[DGeneral]

So essentially it becomes Guthrie for Trot Nixon. I just hate seeing the Indians giving up on 27 year old pitchers with good fastballs. Hopefully Shapiro can get something for him in a trade. But after the Brandon Phillips debacle of last year, I have an uneasy feeling about this move.

Guthrie is a bust. A waste of time. Little production while he was in the big leagues. Time to look at other young arms. Guthrie will be lucky to make it to the big leagues.

[swerb]

I'll never forget watching Guthrie's start for Stanford in the College WS right after we drafted him. Dominant, a bender that fell off the table.

I remember watching that game, thinking this kid was as close to a sure thing as there was, and expected him in the rotation that next season.

Just goes to show, in baseball, even the most elite prospects are coin flip propositions at best.

[DGeneral]

I'll never forget watching Guthrie's start for Stanford in the College WS right after we drafted him. Dominant, a bender that fell off the table.

I remember watching that game, thinking this kid was as close to a sure thing as there was, and expected him in the rotation that next season.

Just goes to show, in baseball, even the most elite prospects are coin flip propositions at best.

This is a rare time I'll give credit to this FO in investing a premium to bring a high ceiling prospect into development.

Too bad Guthrie was a bust.

[pup]

Signed with Baltimore. Will probably win the Cy Young this year

[consigliere]

Signed with Baltimore. Will probably win the Cy Young this year

Some people on other boards are having a near conniption that Guthrie was DFAed.

I could care less about him being gone, although being claimed on waivers by Baltimore (Leo Mazzone) was probably the best thing that could happen for him.