Carroll for Cash, and Two Guzmans

Bill Ladson let us know yesterday that Jamey Carroll, 32, had been traded to the Colorado Rockies for $300,000 in cash. Prior to the 2005 season, we at Nats Blog were enthusiastic about having Jamey Carroll on our home town resident team. After all, he was someone who had posted a .378 OBP in 2004.

I think we learned a little about Jamey Carroll in 2005. We learned that, when asked to play on a more frequent basis, he doesn't hit as well. I'm sure it is because he is exposed to better pitching, more right-handers, or some other reason, but he just does not produce as an everyday player. His defense at shortstop was passable - he even was perfect in 21 starts at the position in 2005, but was -1 runs saved above average - but he was not going to be a solution at any position.

What we learned most is how far we will go to embrace a player who is Not Cristian Guzman (NCG). Any NCG player is going to be loved and respected while manning the shortstop position and putting up replacement-level production offensively. Royce Clayton, added about a week ago, is the next player who will likely take advantage of being NCG.

My assumption is that I'm going to like Royce Clayton, but only because of the NCG status. I hated Clayton during his two years with the Chicago White Sox, in which he managed to alienate fans with his indifferent attitude, while putting up lines of .263/.315/.393 and .251/.295/.365 on offense. Sound like anyone you know?

Oddly enough, here are your competing 2006 PECOTA projections for Messers Clayton and Guzman:

Clayton (as a D'Back) - .256/.319/.359
Guzman - .245/.290/.324

Adjust Clayton's numbers for RFK and the NL East and, boom:

The Nationals have two Cristian Guzmans.