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Trade Bait: Guzman to Texas
Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo continues to clean out the dead weight left for him from prior GM Jim Bowden. The latest piece, Cristian Guzman, was given an above market rate contract following a resurgent season in 2008. He has since fallen off offensively and defensively. But the Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers have been agressive this season as they have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs in the AL West. With Ian Kinsler going on the DL recently, Daniels had to find a temporary replacement. He found it in Guzman.
The Nationals have worked with what they were given by utilizing Guzman around the diamond as a super-utility player, this may have actually improved his trade value as other teams have seen him adjust to other positions. Once Kinsler returns, Daniels and Manager Ron Washington have the flexibility of a veteran utility player off the bench. It’ll be a nice asset to have to rest their players down the stretch and it gives Washington more options in the playoffs.
The Nationals are sending $2 million in the deal in order to receive a little better prospects in the deal. With a deep farm system, Daniels has the flexibility to give up some of his lesser prospects to offset the lack of payroll space that he has to deal with.
The first player that Rizzo has received is righty Ryan Tatusko. Tatsuko is currently pitching at Double-A where is is enjoying the best ERA of his career, mainly due to a drop in his hit rate and a 0.5 drop in his HR/9. But the strikeouts are the lowest in his career and his walk rate has also increased. Trip Somers of TexasLeaguers.com provides a good profile on Tatusko, including a video to watch. Here’s a brief excerpt:
“Tatusko features a low-90s fastball that might cut, sink, tail, or even be a little too straight. He calls his breaking pitch a slurve, but when I saw it, it looked like a good, hard curve ball.”
Considering his mainly two pitch repitoire and how he seemed to fare better in the bullpen while warming up, Tatusko might be a better fit in a major league bullpen.
The second pitcher, Tanner Roark, is another righty that has been mediocre as a starter in the minors. He has a 88-92 mph heater, a curve, and an iffy change-up. Some are projecting him as a back of the rotation starter or a spot starter. However, he has excelled out of the pen when put there. In 2009 the Rangers had him in the pen at Bakersfield and Frisco where he had a 2.70 FIP, a 9.97 K/9 (up 2.55 from his rate as a starter), and a much lower HR/9.
Although neither pitcher looks like a starter in the long term, it looks as though at least one of them might become a decent reliever out of the pen. This trade looks good for both sides. Guzman provides a cheap temporary patch for second base until Kinsler returns, and a veteran bat off the bench afterwards. While Rizzo might actually get value for a player that would likely have been a salary dump otherwise.
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