Angel Guzman

by rlpete on Jul 2, 2006 7:49 PM CDT

Could someone explain to me what the Cubs are doing with Angel Guzman? He once was a top prospect but he's been hurt for the prior two years. He seems healthy this year and in limited AAA time has shown he may still have it with a K/BB ratio of 47/12 in 41 innings.

You would think that with his past injury problems, the best thing for him would be to pitch. Instead the Cubs are having him sit in the bullpen and not pitch for over two weeks. It's not like they need him anyway, they have 7 pitchers in the pen. Why not send him to Iowa and add another bat (Fontenot?). The Cubs should see what they have with Guzman. Can he get his hot prospect status back? Right now, they don't know and he isn't building arm strength riding the bullpen pines either.

I can only think of three reasons for this:

Hendry and Baker are completely incompetent and don't understand what they are doing.
Hendry and Baker really don't see much future for him and therefore don't care much about what is best for him.
Guzman is a pawn as Hendry and Baker are battling over him. Hendry wants him to pitch in the majors but Baker doesn't. As a result, Baker just lets him sit unless he absolutely needs him.

My take is #3. To me, it seems the only alternative. Hendry loves his prospects and wouldn't give up on him. Thoughts? Maybe we should start a "Free Angel Guzman" campaign. I'd like to see what he can do.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

I think

Guzman might have gotten hurt during or since his last outing and they don't want to put him on the DL bc it will scare off potential suitors. Yes, we can't add someone to our roster who is healthy enough to play, but if Hendry is serious about making big trades, he'd want people to think Guzman is healthy and just hasn't been playing bc they haven't needed him yet.

by colossus @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 2, 2006 7:52 PM CDT reply actions

The only flaw

in what you say is that the Cubs would likely be trading for prospects not trading them. In addition, I really can't see Guzman having much value in a trade other than as a throw-in right now. Other teams see the injury history and that he still isn't pitching regularly.

by rlpete on Jul 2, 2006 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Trading

The Cubs could either be trading for prospects or trading for good/great mlb players. A lot of teams want pitching, Guzman could do. They could see his last outing and maybe a few more and want him. They know he has a history of injury so knowing he's injured again would scare them off for sure. Hendry is just waiting for him to be 100%, then they'll let him be a relief pitcher some more and if it works as planned, he'll do really well. Then, when it comes time to trade, they can include him as more than just a throw in prospect.

by colossus @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 2, 2006 8:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Injured?

He would still have to pass a physical for a trade to happen and if the Cubs had any knowledge of any kind of injury if he managed to pass the physical, the deal would be voided.

No way do they just hide an injury so they can trade him. It would backfire on them so quickly and then no team in baseball would deal with them.

by Matthew @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 2, 2006 11:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Right

by escapegoat on Jul 3, 2006 12:20 AM CDT up reply actions

They'd

wait until after he got better to trade him. I thought I had implied that.

by colossus @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 3, 2006 12:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Soooo....

...You're saying they're wasting a roster spot until he's "healty" enough to pitch just to pitch him to increase his value? Even though regardless he was on the DL or not his value would be predicated on his results, no matter if he was on the DL or not?

Don't you think NOT pitching him decreases his value?

I've never heard of anything remotely to that scenario, but then again this is the Cubs.

by escapegoat on Jul 3, 2006 12:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I suspect

Baker just doesn't want to pitch him, even though Hendry thinks he deserves to be on the team. Not like we haven't seen it before. Hendry calls up Restovich, Theriot, Baker doesn't let them play. Maybe it's a pissing match between those two but why would Baker want to press Hendry's buttons right now?

Dusty, get Guzman into some games for godsake. How many innings has Novoa thrown since the last time Guzman has pitched? Too many.

by pageian on Jul 2, 2006 8:23 PM CDT reply actions

re

He's pitched eight innings since the last time Guzman pitched (on June 16th), which I agree is too many.

by VS on Jul 2, 2006 8:31 PM CDT up reply actions

"Free Angel Guzman"

stuck in exile in Disney.

by Faith plus 1 on Jul 2, 2006 10:29 PM CDT reply actions

My take on Angel

and why he hasn't pitched in over 2 weeks, when he pitched very well, is he might continue to do well thus making it harder to send him down when they bring Rusch up. I'm sure they want Rusch to do well to A)Trade him or B)Hendry is stubborn and can't swollow his pride and DFA him, admitting that millions of Cub fans were right in the process, for giving such a ridiculous contract. I'm guessing A. Hopefully it's A.
This is the only logical explanation I can come up with in a lost season why an organization would hide a prospect on the bench.

by escapegoat on Jul 3, 2006 12:26 AM CDT reply actions

Guzman was brought up...

...to pitch long relief. Aardsma was sent down because he's a one inning (give or take) guy. I don't think that there's been a classic Rusch-melting-down-in-the-second-inning situation since Guzman came back up. Dusty is waiting until he needs someone to go four or five innings. Flexibility not a strong point here. Same way that Dempster can only be used a closer, leading to the ridiculous situation a while back where Dusty was simultaneously complaining about the bullpen being overworked, and about Dempster not getting enough opportunities. But I digress...

by Slats Grobnik on Jul 3, 2006 1:11 AM CDT reply actions

Even if he is a long man now...

Guzman has had a long history of being injured and not being able to pitch, and now that he's supposedly healthy, he gets to rot on the bench?

Long man or not, the guy hasn't pitched since June 16. Dusty has to get him in the game one way or another.

by VS on Jul 3, 2006 7:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Guzman

There is no doubt that if Baker was looking for a place for Guzman to pitch, he certainly could have found it.

It is pretty ridiculous to have a prospect, and yes I do still consider him a prospect, on the major league roster for so long without giving him a chance to play. Especially when Guzman's last performance was so stellar.

Check out my Cubs Minor League System website: Top Cubs Prospects

by jonpyardi on Jul 3, 2006 8:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Long relief

doesn't have to mean 4-5 innings. Even if it did you still need to get your long man into a game occassionally just to make sure he doesn't rust. Waiting to use your long man until you know he can get 4-5 innings is ridiculous. I don't think that's the case here. I think it's a case of Dusty not wanting to use him and being a stubborn ass about it. I hope I'm wrong and that there's something going on that I don't know about, unless it's an injury. But I can't come up with any other explanation that makes sense. Dusty uses his close in non-save situations to keep him sharp, why wouldn't he do the same with his "long man"?

by pageian on Jul 3, 2006 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Guzman...

... is the best I've ever seen at standing behind the bullpen catchers, watching for errant foul balls.

He's done this dozens of times since he last appeared in a game on June 16.

His reward, apparently, is going to be a trip back to Iowa today, with Glendon Rusch being activated.

Godspeed, Angel. You done good.

by Al Yellon on Jul 3, 2006 9:11 AM CDT reply actions

Welcome Back Glendon

If having to see Rusch pitch again gets Guzman back to Iowa then I say "Welcome Back Glendon".

by rlpete on Jul 3, 2006 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Here's a novel idea.......

Release Rusch.

See if anyone is interested in Maddux. It's safe to say he won't be in next year's plans.

Pitch Marmol, Guzman and Marshall (with Z and Prior)the rest of the year.

Then maybe the starting pitching question would be a little more clear heading into the offseason.

by Peoria Matt on Jul 3, 2006 9:41 PM CDT reply actions

Guzman

I am of the opinion that Angel Guzman no longer is considered a quality prospect by Hendry and company. Hendry was quoted in the papers last week talking about Cub pitching prospects. He specifically mentioned the names of Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol, in addition to a handful of names further down the developmental change in Sean Gallaher and Mark Pawlenty. He mentioned zero about Rich Hill or Guzman. For an organization absolutely starved for good news and glimmers of hope, it speaks volumes (to me at least) that Hendry had nada to say about Guzman.

by Mike63 on Jul 3, 2006 11:45 PM CDT reply actions

If this is the case...

... then Guzman should have been pitching EVERY day, to increase his trade value. Sitting in the bullpen for two weeks did absolutely nothing for him.

by Al Yellon on Jul 4, 2006 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions

rusch......

is a joke. release him. see if anyone is interested in maddux and trade him for what you can. he probably wont be in next years plans. kerry wood needs to be in the pen. if you sign zito you have a three headed monster at the top of the rotation. add in a sean marshall and a carlos marmol and you are set. then add a lee in left and maybe a bat at second after walker is traded (soriano maybe, hopefully, we have the money

hey, hey, cubs win.

by cubbyblue137 on Jul 3, 2006 11:50 PM CDT reply actions