Although former major league reliever Eric Gagne retired seven years ago, he is considering staging a comeback attempt at the age of 41, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
“I feel great,” said Gagne. “It’s almost scary.”
Gagne, who will pitch for Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic, told Gurnick he still features a fastball upward of 90 mph and a changeup. The right-hander has had throwing sessions with the Diamondbacks and Padres, per Gurnick, and is now serving as a guest pitching instructor with his longtime team, the Dodgers. Gagne threw in front of club president Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi on Sunday, tweets Gurnick, who notes that wasn’t an official tryout.
While Gagne’s latest major league action came back in 2008 as a member of the Brewers, with whom he scuffled (5.44 ERA, 6.13 FIP in 46 1/3 innings), he was once a dominant force in Los Angeles. Gagne was with the Dodgers between 1999-2006 and was at his best from 2002-04, when he converted a record 84 straight saves, earned three straight All-Star nods and won the National League Cy Young in 2003. During that 247-inning stretch, Gagne blew just one save in 153 attempts and posted a 1.79 ERA, 13.3 K/9 and 2.11 BB/9.
Gagne, who also pitched for the Rangers and Red Sox, combined for a 3.47 ERA, 10.04 K/9 and 3.16 BB/9 in 643 2/3 frames. He did appear in the Mitchell Report for using human growth hormone in 2004, though, and later claimed that 80 percent of his Dodgers teammates utilized performance-enhancing drugs.
Miss this guy. But stay retired
Can’t miss signing for the Mets. Why?
1-he can be a cheap signing by cheap owners.
2-he can relate to the rest of the staff with all of their arm injuries
Cool comment.
Must miss signing for the Yankees. Why?
1-Their president hates giving money to relievers who aren’t closers
delusional
I think that’s a waste of money in a roster spot to try to get him he’s 41 years old
Lol, this article is the funniest thing I’ve seen all week… Gagne should stay retired. He had a fee good years followed by a lot of bad ones. Maybe he should learn to throw a knuckleball and he and Brian Wilson can practice together…
that would be pretty amusing.
Tim Wakefield’s School for Pitchers Who Can’t Throw Good.
What is this?
Wake won 200 games tho. Wouldn’t use him as judgement for that cause, even if Wake’s 200 wins were all mostly as a back end starter.
Gag-Me.. If he’s throwing 90mph and just has a changeup off that thing he’s calling a heater, might be in for it.. This isn’t something koji Uehara wise trick pitch guy with a diving fork ball here, tho they both are 41yo..
Think the gagger might stay retired and play senior league softball.
The reference to Wakefield wasn’t a judgement on his skills. More so a joke that Tim Wakefield could create a school for pitchers wanted to come back as a knuckleballer, since he lived by the knuckleball.
How about Billy Wagner? I wonder if he has an itch to comeback now?
how old is Wagner? Would that be good?
Ha ha he retired at 38 after 2010 season, but man he was good that year for Atlanta. As silly as it sounds if he’s kept himself and arm in shape he might be able to come back and be serviceable. LOOGY maybe.
no
84 straight saves and using steroids at the same time
Already been proven
Market is thin
But stay retired
Plenty of options in the minors
Probably not a good idea to talk about how he feels so great that it’s almost scary at the age of 41 when he has been previously linked to PEDs lol
yeah that will do you in.
This guy still boils my blood. Red Sox gave up someone or something very good to get him in August one year and he totally flamed out. Killed us that year.
that doesn’t sound good.
Kason Gabbard, David Murphy, and Engel Beltre… you really think that was a bad trade? I mean Murphy had a pretty good career but he was blocked in Boston. For a team trying to bolster the bullpen for a postseason run Im not sure what youre upset about. Gagne didnt pitch well but its not like you gave up a perennial all-star to get him as a rental.
I remember his first game fenway and he got shelled lol
Lmmfao
Engel Beltre, Kason Gabbard, and David Murphy. In hindsight, I wouldn’t describe any of them as something or someone “very good” unless they had a package lined up for a better player than Gagne at the time.
Killed us? We won the series that year. Gabbard and Belte never did anything, and Murphy never would have started in Boston. Miss Moss and Reddick more then him.
Good points…. I guess it’s because I expected so much from him. 8th inning guy, lockdown. Disappointed me almost every time. I guess individually those three guys weren’t much but 3 for 1 and he doesnt come through…..
And didn’t we dump him after about a month?
No, because I remember him pitching the ninth in game one of the ALCS in a 10-3 game and was downright worried he’d blow it
David Murphy and Blaine Gabberd, both you were showing promise when this rate went down, David know if he went on to be a BETTER than serviceable MLB outfielder
*Trade went down
Blaine Gabbert is an NFL QB, albeit barely.
Changeup, but no curve? He was throwing a nasty hammer back in the day. At least as good as his fastball.
Article doesn’t mention it but Gagne has thrown some innings in the Independent leagues over the last couple of years. But a comeback? Come on, wait for the old-timer’s game. You will mow ’em down.
doesn’t matter he wants to pitch in the majors again
What am I missing here?
He already tried to come back and couldn’t do it. Now he is a few more years older so I don’t see how he or anyone else thinks he can pull this off unless he’s been back on the juice since his last attempt. I miss watching him pitch and he will always be one of my favorites but he needs to let it go.
Stay retired.
The Rangers will sign him and trade him to the Red Sox again.
Nothing a few PED’s can’t fix
To dream the impossible dream.
At 41 and no PED’s you might as well stay retired.
Lol
Maybe he thinks he can have 1 more good year in the sun before the positive tests come back and he gets banned for life. At 41, would that be much of a punishment? He not a HOFer.
The new generation of fans are more tolerant of cheaters. Gagne wants to cash in on the wave.
This guy was nothing but a juicer, hot-head.
Lol at the fact that he has already thrown for the Padres and Diamondbacks. Geez the Padres want to re-create the Dodgers bullpen of 2004, they signed Hung Chih Kuo to a minor league deal the other day.
Didn’t he get popped for PEDs before?
I do know he won the 2003 Cy Young award .
You do know that he was on the 2003 Mitchell report?
what?
PED report? Bunch of guys got outed?
He never tested positive but was named in the Mitchell report and later admitted he’d taken HGH, which MLB didn’t begin testing for until after he retired.
gagne and Wilson will get a look. even if, it’s prob to be a minor league contract. good luck.
i’ve seen a lot of articles were people say they want to come back. But, it doesn’t usually happen. However I think he will do it.
Feeling “great” in February is much easier done than feeling “great” in August. Just enjoy the WBC, Eric.
Man, I used to love this guy. Nasty arsenal, the glasses, the unique windup. 84 consecutive saves may never be topped. It’s a shame he took HGH, along with the rest of the league. I doubt we still have a totally clean league, but whatever the case, it sounds like he wants to prove he can be good without performance enhancements.
Adrian Beltre would be so excited to hear the news…
I heard Charlie Hough is making a comeback too. Lol
“How much you wanna bet I can throw a football over them mountains?” – Uncle Rico