Guzman Out, Clayton In

By Mike Rote
3/28/06

The news in Washington is that the Nationals have placed shortstop Christian Guzman on the disabled list, where he will stay a full ten days into the regular season. Guzman has complained of a sore shoulder since the start of spring training, and team doctors found that he indeed suffers from a torn right labrum. He joins four Nationals--backup catcher Ryan Fick and pitchers Brian Lawrence, Ryan Drese and Luis Ayala--on the DL. Some would argue that Guzman's injury could solve a major problem up the middle for the Nats. But would it really?

Guzman was one of the first players the Nats signed before their inaugural season last year. After six decent years in Minnesota, Washington GM Jim Bowden rewarded him with a $4.2 million per year contract. Guzman took his new contract and proceeded to hit an abysmal .219 in 2005, with 31 RBIs and four homeruns. He served as a switch-hitter all season long--basically rotating sides of the plate from which to be retired. He had an average year in the field, with 15 errors and a .973 fielding percentage.

These are atrocious stats for someone who was supposed to be the star in 2005. After manager Frank Robinson vowed that Guzman would be the starter for the 2006 campaign, it looked like the Nats were stuck with high-paid mediocrity once again. However, this torn labrum now leaves the door wide open for a shortstop to have a few breakout series and steal the starting job. Who is this chosen player? Royce Clayton.

Royce Clayton? Wait. Last year in Arizona, Clayton hit .270 with two homeruns, and he has a lifetime fielding percentage of .974 at short--eerily similar numbers to Guzman's. Plus, he's no spring chicken at 36 years old. At least Guzman was showing promise at the end of 2005, when he hit .325 in September.

The Nats signed Clayton to a one-year deal at $600,000 to serve as backup to Guzman and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Now, Clayton has gotten a chance to start once again. For Nats fans, it's a chance as well--chance as in "gamble."

Before the season, Clayton shed his trademark dreadlocks as a sign of "a new start." Yes, Nats fans--the success of the first ten days at shortstop relies on a haircut.