Manuel Guzman - 2016

[goulik]

Short Stop-Cedar Rapids

Born Feb. 10, 1995

International Free Agent 2013, Dominican Republic

275/377/337 at Elizabethton last year

This is Guzman's 4th year in the organization. He has moved up one level each year starting with the DSL in 2013. Guzman is currently on the DL in Cedar Rapids.

[Bob Sacamento]

Slick fielder playing 2B/SS, good bunter, has a good plate approach.

[goulik]

Many on this CR team are here sooner than predicted by the TD team in the prospect handbook and this includes Guzman. Before going on the DL, he was batting 172/226/172 with 3 errors in 9 games. That's a SSS for sure but it is a pretty rough start. CR seems a lot like the MLB team. Lots of guys not adjusting to the next level well yet.

[Bob Sacamento]

Manny in his Fort Myers rehabbing with a right quad injury, he says he's out of game action for six weeks which coincides with E-town's start up and is a much more appropriate place for Guzman to be than the aggressive assignment of CR he got to start the year.

 

Here he is with Engelb Vielma and another rehabber (Vielma, unknown, Guzman in picture)

 

 

[goulik]

Guzman has been in 4 games with 15 AB for the GCL Twins on his "rehab". Still waiting to see where he ends up after the rehab. There are a couple infielders at CR that could be promoted to make room (Arraez looks ready and Miller already put in a 4 game appearance for Fort Meyers)

[Bob Sacamento]

Manny played in rehab game action on 7/8 where he was 1 for 3 with an RBI single and coaxed two walks.  Defensively, he manned second, showing good lateral range to both sides as well as a strong arm.  He should shortly be getting called up to Low A.

 

Here is some video from his 7/8 game:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVlR4kvmHnc

 

Manny and me in the stands 7/9

 

[goulik]

Guzman has had a rough season. Approximately two weeks into the season (9 games played) he went on the DL for 2 Months. He spent about 2 weeks on a rehab assisgnment in the GCL (where he hit 200/282/200 in 11 games) before returning to Cedar Rapids. His return lasted only 3 weeks, did not go well, and he has now been demoted to Elizabethton.

 

The whole idea of having him start in Cedar Rapids was an aggressive approach. Blame it on the injury, blame it on not really being prepared, it did not work. I still like the fact that he was aggressively placed in low A along with Arraez. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

Combined for the year he is hitting 186/252/196 so the demotion is 100% understood. Just hope the kid recovers last years mojo before the year becomes a complete loss.

[goulik]

Guzman was able to make a return to the fired before the end of the year. Unfortunately he did not hit very well in that return. His last 10 games played he hit .154 with 4 hits and 9 walks in 35 plate appearances. It's a little interesting when the stats show twice as many runs scored than hits but that was how He finished those last 10.

His final CR line: 182/291/193 for a whopping 484 OPS with only 88 at bats in low A. Guzman also had 35 at bats in the GCL and 18 in Elizabethton where he was 200/282/200 and 333/400/389 respectively raising his overall combined slash to 206/302/220.

 

2017 Outlook

Due to injuries, we have to look at this as a lost season for Guzman. He will be repeating Low A. I look for Guzman to have a rebound season next year and start getting some lost prospect love back.