The Matt Garza to the Cubs rumors stepped it up a notch or two late Tuesday night after a report from the Sun-Times indicated the Cubs were close to acquiring Garza from the Rays. The original report stated the Cubs were drawing near a deal according to the Sun-Times sources.
Multiple reports on Wednesday once again confirmed the Cubs are interested in Garza but no deal is imminent … and both Dave Kaplan and Bruce Miles reported the two sides have not exchanged names of players that could be sent to Tampa for Garza. Buster Olney was the first to shoot down the report from the Sun-Times. Olney tweeted that a “well-placed source” told him a Garza trade is more likely in July than it is now.
Dave Kaplan checked in early Wednesday morning and said a deal was seriously being discussed. Kaplan questioned sending three top prospects to Tampa at the time.
According to a report from Kaplan Wednesday morning, he checked with “three Major League sources who told him that while there have been discussions about Garza between Tampa Bay and Chicago no deal is imminent.” Kaplan explained that “names of potential players that the Cubs could include in the deal have not yet been exchanged.”
Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reported the same about the names not being exchanged yet and added “one Cubs operative said he was glad to read they were the frontrunners to land Garza because they didn’t know it.”
Kaplan was told the price to acquire Garza will be very high.
The Cubs are “willing to put a solid package of players together” according to Kaplan, if “indeed Tampa Bay is willing to move him.” But the Rays’ GM, Andrew Friedman, would have to be overwhelmed by the deal in order to trade Garza now instead of at some point during the season when the Rays could get more in return.
Jim Hendry is expected to “continue to gauge the price” for Garza and “if it makes sense the Cubs are willing to move.”
According to Bruce Levine, “Tampa Bay is known to be asking for numerous top prospects from any team interested in Garza.”
Late Wednesday afternoon a tweet from Kaplan stated a well-known agent told him “while a trade still has a ways to go, the Rays may move Garza so they have money to spend in other areas now.”
This off-season’s version of Brian Roberts and Jake Peavy just keeps going and going and going. It will be interesting to hear how many questions Jim Hendry receives about Matt Garza at the convention next week.
Stay Tuned …
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