Eddie Guardado

[William Malone]

Edward Adrain Guardado was born on October 2, 1970 in Stockton, California.

The Minnesota Twins selected him in round 21 of the 1990 MLB Draft. He reached the Majors in 1993. Guardado made 16 starts and three relief appearances as a rookie, going 3-8 with a 6.18 ERA. His struggles as a starter continued the following summer, and Minnesota converted him to a full time bullpen role midway through the 1995 season.

Guardado made 565 relief appearances for the Twins between 1996 and 2003. This was the third most in the Majors over that span, helping him earn the nickname "Everyday Eddie." Rookie manager Ron Gardenhire named him the closer in 2002, and the southpaw responded by posting a 2.93 ERA with an American League leading 45 saves. Guardado was an All-Star that July, and finished 15th in American League MVP voting that fall. He was an All-Star again in 2003, recording 41 saves with a 2.89 ERA.

The Seattle Mariners signed Guardado to a three year deal in free agency ahead of the 2004 campaign. He continued to pitch well in the first two years of that deal, earning 54 saves with a 2.74 ERA. Seattle removed him from the closer role due to some early season struggles in 2006. Guardado was eventually traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July. Shortly after the trade, it was revealed that he needed Tommy John surgery.

Guardado was slowed down by injuries and ineffectiveness for the rest of his career. This included a nine game stint back with Minnesota in 2008, where he allowed six earned runs over 7.0 innings. His final professional appearance came in a spring training game with the Washington Nationals in 2010. As of Opening Day in 2026, Guardado is the Twins all-time leader with 648 pitching appearances. His 116 saves are the fourth most in club history. 

He was elected to the Twins Hall of Fame in 2013. Guardado was hired to be the bullpen coach for new manager Paul Molitor entering the 2015 season. He was fired, along with Molitor and several other assistant coaches, following the 2018 season.

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