Nationals trade Christian Guzman to Texas Rangers for Tanner Roark and Ryan Tatusko.
Christian Guzman was nearing the end of his contract with the Nationals. He was set to enter free agency after the 2010 season and the club knew they were not going to resign him.
After a poor first season with the club followed by sitting out an entire season recovering from a shoulder injury, Guzman had rebounded to provide the team with ample play. At 32 years of age, he didn’t hit for any power and had little speed remaining, but he provided a veteran presence, some postseason experience (from earlier days with the Minnesota Twins) and a decent glove.
The return would be meager for a rental player of this type, and the Nationals got two lower level pitchers. Both were AA pitchers, with one selected out of the 25th round in Tanner Roark and the other Ryan Tatusko.
Guzman would play in 15 games for the Rangers and then his career was over.
Tatusko made it as high as AAA, though never pitched in the big leagues.
Roark is where this trade is won, however. Upon being called up in 2013 he was 7-1 with a 1.51 ERA splitting time between the bullpen and rotation. Eventually, he found a spot in the starting five and pitched six years for the Nationals winning 64 games.