On Wednesday Padres send Jesus Guzman to the Astros and get infielder Ryan Jackson in return.
Jesus Guzman was never a full-fledged starter, but did have some production in Bud Black’s versatile lineups. He was primarily a utility player who played first base and in the outfield. Although Guzman’s numbers are not flashy, he brought power to the plate in a lineup that really lacked it.
In 2011, Jesus Guzman’s first season as a Padre, he had arguably his best production in a limited role. He played in only 76 games, but still managed 77 hits, 22 doubles, 5 homeruns and a .312 batting average.
In the last 2 seasons Jesus Guzman’s role has been expanded, and his batting average has been negatively correlated. He played in over 120 games each of the last two seasons, but his production decreased as he had less hits, less doubles, and a drop to a combined .237 Batting Average in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Although this overall productivity has dropped, his number of homeruns has increased with the increased amount of plate appearances.
Guzman was a glue guy in this lineup that had a lot of little pieces. The outfield is starting to get crowded with Denorfia, Venable, Maybin, and Quentin all in the rotation. Yonder Alonso has seemed to solidify himself as the future franchise First-Baseman. It seems as if the Padres need for Jesus Guzman was just not as much of a necessity as it has been in years past.
Ryan Jackson has played most of his career primarily in the Minor Leagues. He had a chance with the Cardinals playing 20 games with St. Louis from 2012-13. He batted .083 in 24 at bats. In the Minors, Jackson played mostly shortstop and batted .278.
Looks as if the Padre’s front office is looking to the future and trying to improve their depth in the infield.
San Diego Sports Insider 