Don’t Forget About Angel Guzman

We take a break from all the chaos that is the managerial search, and actually focus on the players who play game. Remember last year, when Spring Training was just getting started as pitchers and catchers were reporting. The high hopes the Chicago Cubs had for Angel Guzman, who would have been the primary right handed set-up man for closer Carlos Marmol. However, those hopes were suddenly on life support as for the the third time in his career, the injury riddled reliever had to undergo surgery on his throwing arm. Last march, Guzman underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery on his right arm, and consequently he missed the entire 2010 season.

Well hopefully you did not forget about him, because Guzman has finally been cleared to throw soft toss for a short period. Marking the first time that Guzman has participated in baseball activities since the surgery. Guzman threw for 15 minutes, and felt like he could have gone longer and thrown harder. But, when you are this early in the rehab process there is no need to rush things to any extreme. Guzman is expected to be ready in time for spring training, or at least at some point during February.

In 2009, when Guzman was healthy for the entire season, he  posted strong numbers as in 55 games, which is a career high, he posted an ERA of 2.95.

This is really encouraging to hear, considering that when we first got wind of the Guzman’s injury back in spring training, there was talk going around that this recent surgery may force him to retire. But, nonetheless, that does not appear to be the case as he had begun baseball activities. It is still unclear if Guzman will return by the start of the regular season. I would suspect that he may start the year off in the minor leagues, and then work his way back up to the major leagues.

One of the needs the Chicago Cubs have this off-season, is for a veteran right handed reliever. In a year where money is going to be tight for the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs could very well already have that reliever in Angel Guzman. If Guzman shows that he is healthy and has not lost velocity on his pitches, he could be a very nice addition to the Chicago Cubs bullpen next year. But, it is still to early to tell how effective Guzman will be once he returns to the mound.