On the heels of the Nats’ three-game sweep of the Mariners in Seattle, it’s time to discuss one inevitable conclusion:
This club really needs to re-sign shortstop Cristian Guzman.
Washington’s presumptive All-Star representative this year is the rock of the ‘08 starting lineup. In a season where injury has claimed so many of his teammates, Guzman’s play has been nothing short of stellar. Going into tonight’s series in Minnesota, he’s batting a no-fluke .311, and while no Ozzie Smith at shortstop, he’s been solid in the field. While he doesn’t walk as much as you might like hitting leadoff, he’s been able to put the bat on the ball — striking out just 20 times in 69 games.
No player was more maligned by the fans in 2005, the inaugural season, than Guzman. The switch-hitter wound up batting an anemic .219 after signing a four-year deal as a free agent. His OPS was just .574, and it appeared that his $16 million-plus deal was a mistake. It looked even worse in 2006 when he missed the entire season after shoulder surgery. But something odd happened in 2007; he became a very tough out.
Whether it was the repaired shoulder, or the improved eyesight that resulted from LASIK surgery (having had it myself, I’ll vote for that), he became a solid contact hitter, spraying the ball all over the field. He was hitting .329 when he suffered a torn left thumb ligament in June 2007 and, after hand surgery, was out for the rest of the season save a token appearance in the final series at RFK stadium.
This year Guzman has shown that last year’s offense was not a mirage – he’s really a .300 hitter. His likely All-Star spot in July at Yankee Stadium has a certain touch of irony to it. Cristian was originally a Yankee product, having signed with New York as an amateur free agent in 1994. The Yankees traded him to the Twins for Chuck Knoblauch in 1998, so to be able to take a bow in the House That Ruth Built has to carry some added significance.
Guzman is still in his prime at 30, and having missed 298 games to injury since signing with Washington, maybe a hometown discount is in the offing. The upcoming free agent shortstop market doesn’t offer a major upgrade. Orlando Cabrera is a good player, but he’ll be 34. Rafael Furcal was having a good year with the Dodgers before he went down with lower back problems (not the type of injury that makes you real attractive as a middle infielder). David Eckstein? Adam Everett? Cesar Izturis? I don’t think so. The farm system offers no relief; Columbus shortstop Ed Rogers is 30, and has played only 30 games in the big leagues. No one else in the organization looks like much of a prospect as an everyday shortstop by next year.
A short-term deal for Guzman — two or three seasons at the most -—makes sense for the Nats if the price is right. By then they should have developed a homegrown product.
Hear Phil Wood Saturdays at 10 a.m. on SportsTalk 980 AM and as a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at [email protected].
