Carlos Guillen

2013

There was no outlook written for Carlos Guillen.

2012

The 2011 season marked another injury-plagued campaign for Guillen. The 36-year-old veteran managed to appear in just 28 games for the Tigers around calf, knee and wrist injuries. When he was healthy enough to reach the diamond, Guillen struggled to produce, hitting .232/.265/.368 in 95 at-bats. Currently a free agent, Guillen has received some looks from a handful of squads, but at this stage of his career, he’ll likely land in a limited role as a bat off the bench. Given his age, injury history and expected limited role, Guillen will struggle to provide fantasy value in all but the deepest of leagues.

2011

Like each of the two previous seasons, Guillen's 2010 campaign was derailed by injuries. The 35-year-old veteran only managed to appear in 68 games thanks to multiple lower-body injuries, including a season-ending knee injury, which resulted in microfracture surgery. Despite the barrage of injuries, Guillen actually put up decent numbers in his 253 at-bats, finishing at .273/.327/.419 with six home runs and 34 RBI. The Tigers owe Guillen $13 million for the 2011 season, so the team will try to find a place for him if he's healthy, but where he plays is still uncertain at this point. He'll likely end up splitting time between second base, the position he finished at last season, and designated hitter. He's too much of an injury risk in shallower formats, but Guillen could still provide some value in deeper leagues thanks to his eligibility at second base.

2010

The 2009 season was a disappointment for Guillen, as he finished with a .242/.339/.419 line while managing to play in just 113 games due to a shoulder injury. Even when healthy, Guillen was limited, often forcing him to DH rather than play left field. Guillen is expected to be at full strength for the start of spring training and manager Jim Leyland has already anointed the 34-year-old as his everyday left fielder, so be on the lookout for a bounce-back campaign.

2009

Guillen struggled with back problems last season keeping him below 500 at-bats for the first time since 2005. He has always been an injury risk but he managed to stay fairly healthy over the past couple of seasons. When Guillen was in the lineup, he showed off his good eye at the plate and posted decent numbers. His drop in home-run output can be attributed to his back problems and the power-sapping affect those injuries can have on players. Guillen reported after last season that his back was feeling fine and was no longer an issue for him. He'll be ready for spring training and will man left field for the Tigers this year. The team hopes the outfield assignment will keep Guillen healthier until the DH spot is open for him in 2010.

2008

That the Tigers opted to announce Guillen's move to first base before they acquired Edgar Renteria speaks volumes about what the team thought of the risk of moving forward with Guillen at shortstop. Guillen has struggled with soreness in his legs the past few seasons but has mostly been able to stay on the field. He's been a very productive hitter since coming to Detroit and the team hopes he can remain healthy while playing first base, a position that should lessen the stress on Guillen's legs.

2007

Guillen has proven himself to be a very good major league hitter when healthy over the past three seasons. He struggled coming back from a torn ACL in 2005 but was healthy most of last season barring some slight knee soreness and a strained hamstring late in the season. It would be foolish to bank on a full season from Guillen given his lengthy injury history. He'll likely go for a much steeper price in 2007 than he did last year. That makes him a poor risk in our book despite his talent.

2006

The torn ACL that Guillen suffered at the end of 2004 plagued him all of last year and forced him to miss significant amounts of playing time, including most of the final two months. He remains a health risk moving forward but was encouraged by returning to the field for a couple of games at the end of the season. Guillen hit better than .300 for the second year in a row and posted a .359-plus OBP for a third year in a row. His power numbers declined sharply last season, however. Guillen may never post a home run rate close to his 2004 numbers again but he should remain a productive hitter if he can stay healthy.

2005

Guillen improved drastically in 2004. After spending six years as a mediocre shortstop for the Mariners, he set career highs in every major statistical category. His magical season was abruptly ended with about three weeks left, however, when he tore his ACL, and he may be limited in spring training. He elevated himself near the top tier of fantasy shortstops, but be sure to check his health status before drafting him.

2004

Guillen's toughest enemy is his health. Only twice in his five years as a Mariner did he play more than 109 games, his total for 2003. Guillen continues to get better at the plate, ending 2003 on a hot steak with 25 RBI in his last 32 games. But save for deep leagues, he's not reliable enough to start everyday. With the M's signing Scott Spiezio and Rich Aurilia, Guillen became expendable and was traded to Detroit. He goes from one pitchers park to another but should be the Tigers' everyday shortstop.

2003

Guillen's average has increased each of the last three seasons with the Mariners, but that's only to say that it has gone from .257 to .259 to .261. The Mariners would certainly like to see improvement, but Luis Ugueto is probably still a year or two away from becoming the everyday shortstop, so it's Guillen's job for now. He should hit around .260 again with 7-10 home runs and 50-60 RBIs. Guillen also scores a lot of runs for someone near the bottom of the order.