Close the book on Guardado?

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, May 21, 2006

Eddie Guardado is convinced he can be an effective closer, but there’s no indication he’ll get that chance with the Mariners. J.J. Putz has taken that job and run with it, even though manager Mike Hargrove says Guardado has lost his closer role only temporarily.

Don’t let Hargrove fool you. Putz is pitching as well as any reliever in baseball and it might be lobotomy time for the person who pulls him as the closer.

It won’t happen soon, if at all.