Another afternoon, another Astros roster move. These things come in threes, after all, as the Astros made a trade with the San Diego Padres, sending utility infielder Ryan Jackson to the Friars for first baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman.
#Astros officially acquire 1B/OF Jesus Guzman from San Diego in exchange for IF Ryan Jackson. The Astros 40-man roster remains full.
— Houston Astros (@astros) December 18, 2013
Guzman hit .226/.297/.378 in 318 plate appearances last season for a wRC+ of 92. His defense was not great, leaving him with a WAR of 0.0. In over 900 plate appearances, Guzman has a career wRC+ of 109, thanks to very good numbers in his first season in San Diego and decent numbers in 2012.
In the positive category, Guzman appears to be a great platoon hitter against lefties, as he's hit .286/.358/.460 in 367 career plate appearances from that side. He's shown a great walk rate against lefties and similar power from both sides.
Houston only needs about 300 plate appearances out of Guzman next season, so it seems he won't be stretched offensively. If he hits like he did two years ago, he'll be a decent (and cheap) option. Houston loses Ryan Jackson, which means their infield depth takes a hit. They also have a logjam at first base now, which suggests a move could be made there at some point.
Oh, and since claiming Collin McHugh filled Houston's 40-man roster, this move keeps them even.
So, what do you think? Will Guzman be the great answer at first base? Are you sad that Jackson is lost so quickly, before even wearing an Astros uniform? Is Jeff Luhnow done making moves on the position player side?