Pitching amid trade rumors yet again, 28-year-old Cubs righty Matt Garza blanked the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field this afternoon, lowering his ERA to 4.02 while being scouted by the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Tigers, Dodgers, and Pirates, according to ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla. With just over two weeks remaining until the trade deadline, Garza may have only a handful of starts remaining as a Cub. The latest on the club:
- "The rumor mill can wait," Garza told reporters, because his wife is due in less than a month. Garza knows he can't control the trade rumors, but noted that he is open to an extension.
- According to Padilla, the Tigers have asked about Garza, second baseman Darwin Barney, and starter Ryan Dempster. Padilla says the Tigers' interest in Barney began over a month ago. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported on that situation on July 6th, adding that "talks didn't progress."
- "It's nice to know people are interested but I want to be here," Barney told reporters including Padilla after powering the Cubs' victory today with his fourth home run.
- Fan favorite Kerry Wood visited the Cubs' clubhouse today, telling MLB.com's Rowan Kavner and other reporters he's enjoying his first summer off in 25-plus years. Wood says his kids are still too young for him to ponder a coaching career. The former strikeout artist hung up his cleats in May this year.
- Third baseman Ian Stewart also made an appearance, expressing relief to reporters that a surgeon finally found the cause of his persistent wrist problems. The solution involved removing a bone from Stewart's wrist, and he currently has no timetable for his return. The 27-year-old's salary would likely remain in the $2.2MM range if the Cubs decide to tender him this winter and try again in 2013. Including Stewart, Cubs third basemen have tallied a dismal .223/.297/.374 so far in the post-Aramis era.
- It "wouldn't be cool" to see rotation-mate and mentor Dempster traded, Jeff Samardzija told Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday. The Cubs are best-served trading Dempster now to clear a path for a Garza deal later this month, opined ESPN's Buster Olney earlier today.
Dempster is hot right now, but Garza should be the better investment. Dempster feels like he could implode at any second.
Actually, Dempster doesn’t at all. That being said, Garza is obviously the better investment.
If 2-3 teams were in on Dempster, I could see him commanding a package similar to what Sean Marshall brought the Cubs. If the reports are true and 10 teams are interested, I think the package could be 10-20% better than that.
The Marshall package was a good one, but will not even be close to the value we receive for Garza. Garza will command much much more then Marshall did. The reds were giving up on Travis Wood and gave us a AAA OF in Sappelt that at best is a mlb 4th OF. Torreyes was the steal of that trade as he could be the starting 2b for us come 2014. And none of them were top prospects of the Reds. Garza will get us back probably 2 top 10 prospects from a team.
Except Torreyes is having an awful year in high A ball so far. Hopefully he gets things turned around.
He’s actually picked it up quite a bit lately. And his K/BB is phenomenal.
hes hitting over .300 since the end of May. Just took some time gettin acclimated.
I wasn’t referencing Garza. I was referencing Dempster.
yeah my bad, u went back and forth naming them and i just misread.
Garza signed by Yankees, news at 11… 🙂
They can’t sign him, they can only trade for him… unless you think they are going to trade for him and sign him to an extension that quickly.
About time something goes the Cubs way.
Dempster is still a rental. Albeit an expensive one, based on his amazing season so far. But there are so many potential buyers with deep farm systems.
And Garza has underperformed, this year…But success in the AL East, good strikeout numbers and a lack of run support will command a NICE return a team for looking to win now and contend next year. He should bring back a similar bounty than the Cubs gave up for him.
LaHair isn’t a big picture piece. Barney is a hardworking little grinder, but he’s not a factor for the competing 2015 version of the Cubs.
Anyone in the bench or pen can go. See if a team will overpay for Russell.
If Jed does this right, the suddenly strong farm system in position players could be added to, along with an impact TOR arm and a few high impact arms in A ball.
I’m really excited for this team to rebuild, and to see some of these kids in the farm system flourish.
You and me both man. It’s going to be nice seeing some young talent come through our system and be the foundation of our club instead of relying heavily on free agents.
It’s refreshing, especially after the Jim Hendry era. But then I realize that after July 31st, this could be a really awful baseball team. Although, they’ve been playing well as of late.
Yeah, any team where Casey Coleman is even in the discussion as a starting pitcher…Bad News Bears.
I want a really bad season. I want to see Jackson in September. Even with the K’s.
The #1 pick next year would be another great asset.
Rizzo gave them a spark, but this team should become a skeleton crew after the trade deadline and waiver claims.
I’m excited for a trade where the big return isn’t Blake DeWitt.
I do not miss Hendry.
Exactly. The beauty of a big market built on a foundation of maintaining young talent.
There’s a lot to be excited about!
To Williswinning
You don’t know that. A team that wants to win now and doesn’t seize the opportunity to have a guy pitching to the tune of a 1.86 ERA and IS currently the best pitcher in baseball, will have to have reasons as to WHY they didn’t add him.
HAHAHA, “IS” the best pitcher in baseball. LOL, you’re slaying me over here. As a fan I don’t want to give up prospects that aren’t that much better than the guys I’ve got. Garza is better than our #5, heck he’d be our #4, but I’m content where we are.
As a fan of what team? As of right now, Dempster is the best pitcher in baseball. That is a fact argue away all you want.
“That is a fact because he leads the league in one stat that I can understand argue away all you want.”
Fixed it for you.
6th in WHIP
Tied for 9th in WAR
6th in BB/9
54th for K/9
Only thing he is in first for is ERA. But your right, he’s the best.
Learn the game of baseball.
Yeah, I think I’d take Dempster and Garza over Fister or Porcello.
Well how’s that working out for the Cubs? You can have them. You keep saying you’d take them, well take ’em.
The Jays, Rangers, and Pirates have the best prospects for the Cubs. Hoyer will have to hope that at least 2 of those teams will be willing to give away some pitching prospects.
well i wrote a response that said it needed approval first, here goes again. Whats wrong with that offer, this is for Demp not Garza, he is a rental. Smyly and Crosby are 2 good ml ready lefty pitchers. Brantly is their top C prospect and an area we really need. the kid is a great contact hitter who hardly ks and takes walks. Suarez is a real good A ball SS who has a plus bat and is a slick fielder. What do you expect us to get back on the rental?
I expect the Cubs to get something better than 2 back of the rotation types, one of whom has shown a great ability to be nothing more than a hard thrower. Crosby isn’t close to ready for MLB action. His K/BB and WHIP are really quite bad. Smyly overachieved greatly his first 6-8 starts and he’s a 4/5 at best. The other guys are just filler, to be honest.
Cubs will be offered something better than that, at least as far as upside, from some team. Think about this: Crosby and Smyly being both back of the rotation types. Cubs payroll next year (if Dempster/Garza are dealt) will be around 35m as it stands right now. They could easily just go the FA route and gather up 4/5s like Maholm. You don’t trade your 2nd best piece for them.
well i suppose its one persons opinion that they are back of the rotation types. Detroit has had a problem with rushing their top pitching talents Porcello Bonderman etc. These are just growing pains for those kids, all are 23 or under that i mentioned and i wouldnt consider Brantly or Suarez just filler. And for me thats 40% of a future rotation to go with T Wood and Shark. Along with a Catcher who hits for average and can handle the staff. I dunno, no matter what people are going to hate the deal thats made and criticize it one way or another. Everyone has their own views on prospects and nobody is ever happy with moves their team makes because they value the guys they give up so highly.
If your staff is Samardzjia, Wood, Smyly, Crosby plus whomever…you don’t have a single #1 or #2. That doesn’t bode well for playoff odds.
Also, no scout who publishes (Law/Goldstein/etc) consider Smyly/Crosby anything more than a #5 type…let alone a #4. I am not alone in these opinions.
thats fine, like i said, nobody will be happy with the return anyways.
Wrong, Smyly has been considered by many as a potential #3.
If I am the Tigers I do not want Barney, he is not much better then Santiago. I would much prefer they get Infante from the Marlins if he is available. I am also not going to give the moon to the Cubs for Dempster.
Sounds like a nice way to make a already suspect infield defense even worse.
Except Barney can play defense and that’s what the Tigers need in the middle infield.
Why do people keep saying Garza’s price is three top prospects? Maybe it was in the offseason, but from what I’ve heard its two guys and probably a filler. To the stl_cards16 I apologize for any smack talking, not all cubs fans do. Back to baseball. If the Cubs got a deal that included Jacob Turner for Dempster and Barney I’d cry from joy. Unfortunately I know that won’t happen. As for Garza my most desired team would be the Braves.
Because he is signed through 13. Under the new CBA the team that gets him will get a pick out of him if they don’t resign him. Guys like Dempster, Hamels, Greinke, will not bring back a pick.