Nats Extend Guzman Two years, Terms Undisclosed
by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball
on Jul 22, 2008 5:20 PM EDT
Nationals GM Jim Bowden just announced that the Nats have re-signed SS Cristian Guzman to a two-year extension, terms undisclosed. Here's the release:
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with shortstop Cristian Guzman on a two-year contract extension through the 2010 season. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made this announcement.
Guzman has led the Nationals’ offense this season, batting .310 with 56 runs scored, 26 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 34 RBI in 96 games. For his efforts, he was chosen to represent the Nationals in this year’s All-Star Game, which was played last week in New York. Guzman entered today leading the National League with 129 hits (third in MLB), and boasts the circuit’s seventh-best batting average. His 38 multi-hit games are second in the NL, and his 13 three-hit games are tops in the league.
The switch-hitting shortstop has been the Nationals’ most-durable player this season, playing in a team-high 96 games. He also leads the club in batting, runs scored, hits, doubles and triples (tied). His 25 hits with runners in scoring position are tops on the Nationals, and his RBI total is second only to Jesus Flores’ 40.
This season marks the second All-Star campaign of Guzman’s career, as he also participated in the 2001 All-Star Game as a member of the Minnesota Twins.
The 30-year-old has batted .315 with 32 doubles, nine triples, seven home runs, 48 RBI and a .352 on-base percentage over the last two seasons (2007-08), since missing the entire 2006 campaign due to right-shoulder surgery. His batting average over the last two seasons is second-best among major league shortstops, behind only Florida’s Hanley Ramirez (.320).
Guzman was originally signed by the Nationals as a free agent on November 16, 2004, after playing his first six major league seasons with the Twins. The nine-year veteran has batted .268 with 193 doubles, 76 triples, 50 home runs, 368 RBI, 114 stolen bases and a .305 on-base percentage during his career.
Bottom Line: Once the terms become public, we'll have something to digest here. Guzman has not been the problem this season, posting good overall numbers, despite his OBP being a little low for a traditional lead-off hitter. If the Nats could acquire someone better suited for the job, Guz would be a perfectly acceptable #2 or #7-8 hitter. It's symptomatic of the Nats' ills though that they trumpet him as an offensive force, since his OPS+ is an even 100, exactly average for his position. And just pleae re-read the last six words of the press release. THAT is the Nats' lone offensive weapon right now. But like I said, we don't know how good or bad this is until we see the numbers.
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http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/07/nats-extend-guzman-for-two-years-terms.html
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It'll depend on the terms...
Off the top of my head I’ll guess $12M. That’s probably low, considering we gave DMeat $10M for 2 years. Not a lot of major-league ready middle infielders in the system right now, so Guz keeps the infield from disintegrating between now and 2010. And a league-average player is not a bad player—he’s as good as or better than half the league. And more than half of the Nats (considering team OPS+ is only 84…).
We might have something decent going by September to play spoiler if Dukes comes back heathy: IF Zimm/Guz/Ronnie/Casto, OF Dukes/Harris/Kearns, and Flores behind the plate. We knocked the Mets out in 07, so I guess it’s the Fillies’ turn this year…
When in doubt, blame PLoD
by Doghouse on Jul 22, 2008 5:38 PM EDT 0 recs
It would have been real easy to let Guzman get away or trade him with the year he's having...
So have the Nationals as an organization finally done something to make their fans happy?
I agree with the D.O.G…on the #’s…if Guzman was making $4.2 mill, he’s gonna have to bump up to at least $5-6 million per…
Having finally seen the old Twins’ Guzman this season, I think this was a good move, especially since the best SS prospect in the Organization could be tied up in Amateur Free Agent-Gate…(ed. note – “That’s a working title for the coming trouble…”)
"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - V
by e chigliak on
Jul 22, 2008 6:03 PM EDT
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or...2-years, $16 Million? Does everyone like Guzman at $8 million per?
MLB.com’s Bill Ladson’s got the #’s in his article, “Guzman agrees to two-year extension.”
"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - V
by e chigliak on Jul 22, 2008 6:38 PM EDT 0 recs
Had to make this deal
The Nats need to turn this thing around. It’s about pride and one way to work to next year is to bulid momentum by finishing this year on a high note. I believe this signing is a step in the right direction.
by CptChaosSidekick on Jul 22, 2008 8:54 PM EDT 0 recs
I agreee...
It’s both a bone for the fans, and a decent hire. Considering we paid $5M for PLoD, $8M for a veteran, league-average, FA shortstop isn’t awful. I doubt we would have found a better deal in the offseason. Plus, he’s managed to win over those of us who sat through his horrific 2005. It’s not exactly a big FA signing, but he’s a known quantity, and it’s nice change from “screw you, fans! now gimme $235 for good seats to watch this horrible team while I trade away everyone halfway decent.” If I’d had to sit through a second half with FLop at SS I might have burned my season tickets in protest.
So, yeah, I would have thought more like $6-7M, but I can live with 8. It’s not ridiculous, it’s only two years, and we know The Guz is playing well. He can last us until Smiley is ready.
When in doubt, blame PLoD
by Doghouse on
Jul 22, 2008 9:27 PM EDT
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Just pray the "Investigation" doesn't compromise Smiley's status...
Just pure rumor-mongering and speculation…I’m a bit paranoid a players leaving after all these years.
"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - V
by e chigliak on
Jul 22, 2008 9:48 PM EDT
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this is $2 MM more per year...
than he would have gotten on the open market. look folks, we’re overvaluing Guzman here. for all the talk about leading the league in hits (and at bats, and plate appearances), he’s still just a league average SS with below average defensive range and a lifetime OBP of .305. i realize we’ve got to have someone to play SS, and he’s the devil we know. but $18 MM for two years is $4-6 MM too much. but it ain’t my money.
interesting to see what Orlando Hudson signs for and compare the two.
all this being said, if Guz is hitting #2 or #8 next year, and he does what he’s doing this year, i think the Nats would be perfectly happy. now, if he’s got to lead off again…that’s a completely different story.
Your voice of doom and gloom.
by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball on Jul 22, 2008 9:57 PM EDT 0 recs
Who's leading off in front of Guzman in the #2 spot?
Bonifacio?
Which would mean, Opening Day 2009…
Bonifacio 2B
The Guzzz SS
Zimmerman 3B
Johnson? 1B
AK RF
Milledge CF
Dukes LF
Jesus C
Pitcher…
"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - V
by e chigliak on
Jul 22, 2008 10:06 PM EDT
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how about...
2B Bonifacio
LF Dukes
3B Zimmerman
1B Johnson/Young (we have no choice)
RF Kearns
C Flores
CF Milledge
SS Guzman
Your voice of doom and gloom.
by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball on
Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM EDT
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Milledge, Guzman? 7th and 8th...
that’s the kind of thing a competitive team would do…
If Dukes keeps up the Discerning Eye, I buy him in front of Zimmerman, and when healthy(coughs) Johnson…well it would be interesting to see what he could do with a full season…(I am the millionth person to write that sentence!)...
Is Guzman wasted eighth though? I guess if he’s on all the time in front of the pitcher it allows for sacs, and Guzman’s OBP is pretty much second on the Nationals amongst the regulars…I guess big ? is whether Bonifacio is Major League ready?
Gonna watch Bergmann get hammered now…Already 3-0 in the first….
"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous." - V
by e chigliak on Jul 22, 2008 10:29 PM EDT 0 recs
Johnson with a full season?
2006 practically was: 500 AB, 628 PA… He had 23 HR, 46 2B, 77 RBI, with a 149 OPS+. That may not be Scary, but it’s at least unsettling.
When in doubt, blame PLoD
by Doghouse on
Jul 22, 2008 10:49 PM EDT
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Just because Guzman would get this on the market
(which is dubious) doesn’t mean it’s a good signing. He’s just not a good SS. He has no power, doesn’t walk, and his defense is nothing special. He’s been healthy for one year the last 4. We’re buying high….I just don’t get it.
by vaclipper on Jul 23, 2008 1:20 AM EDT 0 recs
Here, drink this Koolade...
Take and deep breath and repeat after me: “I believe in the 5-year plan…”
I agree with your points-Guz is “not a good SS.” But, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad SS. I’ve been arguing all season that he’s essentially league-average (and I appreciate him ringing up an exact 100 OPS+ for my stats post yesterday to underline the point). I keep mentioning that he leads the league in AB as a subtle dig at his inability to take a walk (though it also points out that he likes to play almost as much as Willie Harris does-I can only remember him sitting a couple of games so far this season).
Did we overpay for him? Probably. I imagine he would have settled for the $6-7M/yr I’d imagined if we’d offered him 3-4 years instead of two-and that seems reasonable for what he’d get on the FA market. We’re not buying an All Star, here-uh, hmm, I guess we are, technically… well, okay, we’re not buying a Super Star, we’re buying a known quantity. That’s a nice bit of steadiness while we wait/hope for development from Lasto, Dukes, Flores, WMP, and (now) Bonifacio (some of whom are already starting to work out… or not work out, as the case may be…).
In the cold light of the Morning After (okay, the warm, humid light…): It’s not a great deal, but it’s not a terrible deal, either.
Just remind yourself, the $8M they’re paying Guz is money that can’t use in the offseason to hire the 2009 equivalent of PLoD, Est-nada and Rob Macowiak.
When in doubt, blame PLoD
by Doghouse on
Jul 23, 2008 11:18 AM EDT
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