Joel

Guzman

The Rays might give Guzman a job right away, possibly playing him in right field or first base. He’s not ready to hit for average right now, but he could be good for eight homers over the final two months if he’s used regular. Sergio Pedroza, the other prospect acquired today, is a couple of years away.

Guzman has yet to criticize the Rays organization, making it likely that he will be called up later this season. He could get a look in right field or at first base.

Guzman hardly seems likely to replace Carl Crawford anytime soon, but the Rays have had him playing left field since his arrival in the organization last week. If B.J. Upton settles in well at third, Guzman’s best hope may be first base, where he could compete with Wes Bankston.

No word yet on whether Guzman will be promoted to the majors. He might have to spend some time in Triple-A Durham before he gets an opportunity. Guzman is just 21, and though he can struggle to make contact, he has 35- or 40-homer potential. It’s likely to be a few years before he turns into an above average regular, but that the Rays got him for two months of Julio Lugo was a great trade for them.

Guzman is 4-for-18 with three RBI since being called up. It’s expected that the Dodgers will return him to Triple-A when Jeff Kent comes off the DL on Tuesday.

Guzman went 4-for-19 with three RBI in eight games for the Dodgers. He probably won’t return to the majors until September.

Playing in a hitter’s park in a hitter’s league, the 21-year-old Guzman was batting an unremarkable .291/.346/.418 in 196 at-bats. He’s not ready now, and the Dodgers probably would have been better off just recalling Oscar Robles. What playing time he gets will probably come at third, with Willy Aybar occasionally shifting over to second. It’s doubtful that he’ll be worth using in NL-only leagues.

It’s hard to believe Guzman was batting cleanup, even with J.D. Drew getting the night off. He didn’t have a bad night, but he did ground into a game-ending double play in the ninth. He also grounded into a double play in his lone at-bat in his major league debut on Thursday. It remains unlikely that Guzman will have significant value in NL-only leagues.

It’s unclear what the Devil Rays plan to do with Guzman long term, because they already have B.J. Upton at third base and Carl Crawford in left field. Guzman’s best chance for playing time is at first base, which would also limit his fantasy value the most.

It’s not clear if the deal includes a spring training invite. Guzman, a former top prospect with the Dodgers, batted .181/.219/.298 with seven homers and an ugly 81/9 K/BB ratio over 251 plate appearances with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Central League last year. Now 27 years old, he’s nothing more than organizational filler.