When the Yankees acquired Chad Gaudin from the San Diego Padres on Aug. 6 for a player to be named later, the team viewed him as nothing more than an arm for the back of the rotation and long relief. But since joining the pinstripes, the 26-year-old right-hander has made a strong bid for a spot on manager Joe Girardi’s crowded short list of postseason roster options.
Gaudin has taken the mound 10 times for the Yankees, making six starts and four relief appearances. New York is 8-2 in games Gaudin has pitched in and undefeated when he starts.
“We’re [6-0] in his starts, and that’s really pretty amazing,” said Girardi in the Newark Star-Ledger. “He’s throwing the ball extremely well, and it seems like when he pitches on normal rest, he pitches much better.”
Gaudin finally earned his first win as a starter in a pinstripes uniform on Monday, in a start against the Kansas City Royals that might have been an audition for a playoff spot. The Yankees fielded their B lineup after sewing up the AL East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs the day before, but Gaudin delivered 6 2/3 innings of four-hit, two-run ball while walking two and whiffing five to pitch New York to victory nonetheless.
Overall, Gaudin is 2-0 with a solid 3.54 ERA as a Yankee, although his 1.48 WHIP and 32-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio leave room for improvement. As a starter, he’s 1-0 with an even better 3.19 ERA in 31 innings over six starts, and he has not allowed more than three runs in any of his half-dozen outings since supplanting Sergio Mitre in the rotation.
Clearly, the former 34th round pick of the Devil Rays in 2001 has the credentials to pitch for New York in the playoffs. His sinker, slider, changeup arsenal is effective as a starter or reliever, and Gaudin certainly would be willing to fulfill either role for a chance to pitch deep into October for the first time since his lone playoff appearance in 2006 with the Oakland A’s.
“He is a guy that is definitely in the mix because he can do so many different things,” Girardi said. “He’s done so many different things in his career, and he’s built up to give you distance.”
If Gaudin is included in the Yankees’ final 25-man postseason roster, Girardi and the folks upstairs in the Bronx will have another decision to make — namely, how he will be used.
Should the Yanks choose the four-starter ALDS, they could either put Joba Chamberlain or Gaudin on the mound in Game 4, if necessary. Both have terrific career numbers against Detroit — Joba has logged a 1.02 ERA in 17 2/3 innings, and Gaudin a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 frames. Chamberlain would be the heavy favorite to get the ball, but that could change if he struggles in his last start of the regular season against the Royals on Wednesday, and because of his past dominance as a reliever.
Gaudin, too, will most likely have one more chance to strut his stuff before the games start to count again for the Yankees. He’s due to be on the mound Sunday in Tampa Bay, a team that he dominated in a six-inning, one-run outing that currently stands as his best start in pinstripes.
If Gaudin pitches well again, his trek from journeyman to postseason pitcher will be complete.
