Garza to Cubs close

[A.E]

The Cubs are nearing a deal for Matt Garza
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Bruce Miles reports that the Cubs are nearing a trade for Matt Garza.

We first reported that the Cubs and Rays were talking about Garza a month ago. There have been multiple on-again, off-again reports since then. This stuff now seems like a new, more urgent push, with people in the Twitterverse who are in the know characterizing it as close to being done.

The rumored return: prospects Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee,Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos. Baseball America ranked Archer as the Cubs’ number 1 prospect last year, Lee as the number 4 and Guyer as number 10. Not sure on Chirinos, but I hear he has a great personality. (UPDATE: Chirinos is the number 16 prospect)

Seems like a steep asking price for Garza. But the Cubs are pretty desperate for some starting pitching. We’ll update this as events unfold, of course.

-HBT

 

[The Guid]

I'm a Garza fan and all but that's a lot of quality 'spects.

 

[Elite]

The Cubs and Rays have agreed to a trade that will send Matt Garza to Chicago, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee and Sam Fuld head to Tampa for Garza, a minor-league pitcher and a minor-league outfielder, Levine reports.

Garza, 27, posted a 3.91 ERA with 6.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 35.8% ground ball rate in 204 2/3 innings for the Rays last year. He heads to arbitration for the second time this winter and is set to receive a raise from the $3.35MM salary he earned in 2010.

Garza would join Ryan Dempster, Tom Gorzelanny, Randy Wells, Carlos Zambrano andCarlos Silva in a crowded Chicago rotation. If the Rays-Cubs deal goes through, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cubs starters appear in trade rumors before long.

If any team can afford to part with a starting pitcher, it might be the Rays, who still haveDavid Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson. The return from the Cubs probably won't impact Tampa's Opening Day roster, but it will add depth to the Rays' already impressive farm system.

Baseball America ranked Archer first among Cubs prospects this offseason while Lee placed fourth and Guyer placed tenth. Archer, a 22-year-old right-hander, made it as high as Double-A last year. The starting pitcher posted a 2.34 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9, limiting opponents to 6.4 H/9. The Cubs acquired him from the Indians just over two years ago in the Mark DeRosa trade. Jim Callis of Baseball America notes that Archer is a year away from the majors and could be a closer in the future (Twitter link).

It's not a great time to be an up-and-coming shortstop in the Cubs organization, as Starlin Castro figures to be the team's shortstop for years. Lee, who was born seven months after Castro, is also a highly-regarded shortstop. The native of Korea has a .299/.370/.375 line with 57 stolen bases in two pro seasons. When Baseball America ranked Lee sixth among Cubs prospects before the season, the publication described him as a gifted hitter with the tools to make difficult defensive plays.

Guyer, who turns 25 this month, posted a .344/.398/.588 line in 410 plate apperances at Double-A last year. He has played all three outfield positions in his four-year minor league career.

Chirinos, who turns 27 this month, has infield experience, but has primarily been a catcher in 2009-10. He hit .326/.416/.583 with 18 home runs in the upper minors last year.

Fuld, 29, has a .252/.368/.344 line in 155 big league plate appearances spread over three seasons. The outfielder has spent most of his six-year pro career in the minors, where he has a .285/.372/.405 line.

Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald first reported that the deal was close.

MLBTR

Done deal.

 

[dcpwner]

only one ill miss is Archer tbh, good trade IMO Castro is pretty set, but it wouldnt have hurt to have Lee as a backup, but the last Korean we had on our team was a big bust so..

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

We gave up our Minor League Pitcher & Player of the Year plus another top 10 prospect plus two other prospects for a decent pitcher... I would have liked to use those players in a deal for somebody a little better than Matt Garza, but in the end whatever... Archer, while ranked as our #1 pitching prospect, wasn't really on the map before last year. Hak-Ju Lee is blocked by Starlin Castro at SS, but he could have moved to either 2B or CF. Guyer might have had a shot to start in RF or be a decent 4th outfielder in the future, but there's no guarantee he'll ever be good in the big leagues. Chirinos and Fuld I could care less about. Sam Fuld sucks and Chirinos is nothing more than a backup catcher, which we've got in Wellington Castillo already.

I think if it was Archer or Lee, Cubs fans would think this was a complete steal, but the fact that both are involved is what has people a little upset with Jim Hendry on this one. Overall though, it's a decent trade, because the Cubs do have quite a few arms in the minor leagues that can replace Archer.

 

[dcpwner]

truth right there

 

[Blake]

What in the fuck is Tampa doing?

 

[cruzg24]

Damn, I like Matt Garza's stuff a lot and he has swagger about him that helps too. Cubs gave up a good amount of prospects, but with that its never an exact science so you have to take a risk. I think Garza will be a very good pitcher in the NL.

 

[Elite]

What in the fuck is Tampa doing?

Stockpiling their farm by dealing from excess. You guys still have Price, James Shields, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, and Jeremy Hellickson to pitch this season as well as a farm full of good pitching prospects. Let's face it, you guys aren't going to do a whole lot this season with the Red Sox improvements and the losses of Crawford, Soriano, Pena, and Benoit.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Meh I think the Cubs could have got someone better then Garza, but it's still a quality trade.

And unfortunately the Rays may have trouble compete next year with the Yankees and Red Sox due to their major loses.

 

[snipezo]

Cubs got butt raped. They gave up lots of quality specs. Garza has good stuff and all but Cubs could be screwed in the future. I'm glad he's outta the AL East though.

 

[Lake Louise]

That's a lot to give up for Garza. He's good and all, but not that good. To some it looks like the Rays are just trading away everyone and anyone. I thought the same, but then I looked at who they are getting. They know it'll be tough to compete next year, so they are building up for the future. Just like they did before they got to where they were.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Garza's above average -- nothing better. Cubs are just desperate to give their fans something to believe -- make them think they are trying to compete. This is the opposite of what the team should be doing. Their budget is tight as it is already, they need to worry about building from within.

Stupid move and its gonna bite them in the ass in the next 4 years.

The only way this deal would make sense is if they were planning on stepping up their efforts to deal Zambrano, eat up a large portion of his salary this season, and basically commit to getting Big Z out of town before the Trade Deadline.

 

[MJB]

imo this was a bad trade for us in the long run. why give up a spec like archer? the kid has a chance to be really good. and he was our best spec in the minors. what we gaved up we could of possibly gotten ZG from KC. who i think is a better pitcher than garza. not that i hate garza, hes a good solid 2-3 starter in a top of the rotation team.