Guzman claimed off waivers by Boston
According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Redsox have claimed Washington Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman off of waivers. If the Red Sox are awarded the claim by Major League Baseball, the club would have up to 48 hours to structure a trade with Washington.
The Red Sox have been in desperate need for a short stop all season, now that fill in Jed Lowrie hit the DL, the BoSox are even more desperate.
On paper Guzman is very attractive. He is hitting .315, scores runs, and by the numbers he only has 13 errors this year.
Clearly all Nats fans know that these numbers don’t tell the tale. Guzman is slow, has terrible range, and never walks. The shortstop is a slap hitter in a game that is moving away from the hack-attack offense, towards the much wiser take-n-rake approach.
Regardless, Guzman, a two-time all-star is better than any call-up or fill in player the Red Sox could get. He will be playing in Fenway, a park that suits shortstops with poor range well, as he will not be forced to chase balls over his head with the shallow left field fence.
What the Nationals will ask for in return for Guzman is yet to be seen. It may be prospects, but then again, it may be nothing at all. Guzman is owed $8 million dollars next year, and for the Nationals, shedding that cash may be more rewarding than anything else they could ask for.
For the Red Sox, that’s just chump change.
