The Padres have dealt Jesus Guzman to the Astros in exchange for Ryan Jackson.
The San Diego Padres have dealt first baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman to the Houston Astros in exchange for defensive whiz Ryan Jackson, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com
The 29-year-old Guzman has played four seasons in the big leagues since 2009 and is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility. A career .259/.324/.418 (110 OPS+) hitter, Guzman has played in at least 120 games each of the past two seasons. After posting a 107 OPS+ in 2012, he fell to a 94 mark in 2013.
Jackson, a long-time Cardinals shortstop prospect, has played sparingly in the majors for St. Louis over the past couple of years, netting just two hits in 25 plate appearances over 20 games. Just 25, Jackson is especially known for his otherworldly defensive prowess, a skill which led to many Cardinals fans clamoring for him to start over Pete Kozma last year. The Padres have apparently been interested in Jackson for a while, placing a claim on him when he was waived by St. Louis last month. The Astros ultimately won the claim.
The move doesn't appear to be more than bench fodder for the two teams, as Jackson is blocked in San Diego by Everth Cabrera, and Guzman by a cast of characters including Chris Carter and Robbie Grossman.
