Gagne Opens the Door to Closing Again

Just two days after pronouncing himself unfit to close games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Eric Gagne says he's ready to be the team's closer again.

"I want to go out there as soon as I can,"

It's safe to say that there are Brewers fans who wish the overpaid pitcher would keep his mouth shut. After raising many eyebrows by signing Gagne to a one year $10 million contract, it's become evident to everyone except Ned Yost, Bob Melvin, and Eric Gagne, that Gagne simply isn't a very good reliever any more.

Middle relief certainly doesn't appear to be a spot the former all-star, and HGH user fits very well either. With the Brewers leading 8-1 in the seventh inning Monday night, Yost put Gagne in the game. He pitched a scoreless seventh but struggled in the eighth, giving up a run as he allowed two hits, a walk and a wild pitch.

So what do you do with a reliever who has a huge pricetag, but couldn't get ME out? You sugar coat the ever loving crap out of the situation. Brewers Manager, Ned Yost, who continues to prove he doesn't deserve a job in major league baseball said it was a good sign that Gagne wanted to keep pitching.

"A lot of times, when a guy's been struggling, you get him through a real clean first inning like that and let him get away with a good feeling," Yost said after the Brewers won 8-3. "But you know, he wanted to work, he wanted to go out a second inning and I wanted him to go, too."

Certainly the fact that the team had a seemingly insurmountable lead helped Yost make the decision to keep Gagne in, but one has to wonder how long until the team pulls a Turnbow on the former Cy Young winner.

I say why not let Gagne try his hand at starting? The Brewers starting pitching is an absolute mess, and Gagne began his career in the Dodgers rotation. He no longer has the 97 MPH fastball, but his stuff MIGHT be good enough to throw 5 or 6 innings of respectable baseball.

By the way, being a cubs fan, can I just say how much I love watching the Brewers' closer suck?