Matt Garza Trade/Extension Discussion Thread

[Rice Cube]

Matt Garza Talks Heating Up: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Trade talks for Cubs starter Matt Garza are heating up, writes David Kaplan of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago. Kaplan says the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox are involved, but the Cubs' asking price is "incredibly high."

The price needs to be high for this caliber of pitcher, especially with the years of club control still available.

If Garza is traded it's a no-brainer that the Cubs are in full-on DEFCON 1 rebuild and we should probably forget about signing Prince Fielder.

[FirstTimer]

I'd be interested to know the asking prices because the Red Sox farm is still recovering from the A Gonz deal. The Blue Jay are meh and the Yankees are pretty top heavy.

[Shawon_Dunston]

The Blue Jays are not meh. They have one of the best farm systems in the majors.

[Rice Cube]

This of course doesn't preclude the original Garza-for-Rizzo rumor (with or without a third team). I think most teams would be interested in Garza with the thinness of the free agent starter market.

[Rice Cube]

Farm system rankings, one of the first non-Bleacher Report links on Google:

2011 Farm System Rankings

If anyone can find a more updated version of the list, feel free to post it. Blue Jays are #5 in this ranking. Yankees are 4th.

[FirstTimer]

Originally Posted by Shawon_Dunston

The Blue Jays are not meh. They have one of the best farm systems in the majors.

Disagree.

From the link posted above.. Drabek has been undewhelming thus far, J.P. Arencibia is a career .213 hitter. He has some pop but hasn't really lit up the majors in any real way. Hechavarria is young but a really promising looking shortstop..............see the issue here?

Zach Stewart isn't even on the Blue Jays anymore.....Yeah they have some nicer lower level talent(definetly better arms than the Cubs have) but position player wise I'm not blown away.

[Rice Cube]

Here's a list put together by a blogger. I'm not sure if there's a more reputable source around.

2012 MLB Farm System Rankings With Top 15 Prospects

This is Baseball America's top 10 prospects in the Toronto organization:

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: Organization Top 10 Prospects: 2012 Toronto Blue Jays Top 10 Prospects

I'm not very familiar with them so I trust FirstTimer's judgment.

[Shawon_Dunston]

Originally Posted by FirstTimer

Disagree.

From the link posted above.. Drabek has been undewhelming thus far, J.P. Arencibia is a career .213 hitter. He has some pop but hasn't really lit up the majors in any real way. Hechavarria is young but a really promising looking shortstop..............see the issue here?

Zach Stewart isn't even on the Blue Jays anymore.....Yeah they have some nicer lower level talent(definetly better arms than the Cubs have) but position player wise I'm not blown away.

So you are ready to write off guys off after 1 year? I can understand you questioning Drabek after his horrible showing last year, but JP should definitely improve.

[FirstTimer]

Originally Posted by Shawon_Dunston

So you are ready to write off guys off after 1 year? I can understand you questioning Drabek after his horrible showing last year, but JP should definitely improve.

I'm not "writing off" anyone. I'm evaluating based on what they have done so far. I didn't say he will never get better. I just stated what he has done so far...which is true. The Blue Jays don't blow me away positon player wise. They have some pitching that I really like..especially compared to the Cubs utter lack of it..which is why I grade them out over all as "meh".


It's all reading tea leaves. All these guys could blow up. Or they could all flop.

[FirstTimer]

Originally Posted by Rice Cube

Here's a list put together by a blogger. I'm not sure if there's a more reputable source around.

2012 MLB Farm System Rankings With Top 15 Prospects

This is Baseball America's top 10 prospects in the Toronto organization:

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: Organization Top 10 Prospects: 2012 Toronto Blue Jays Top 10 Prospects

I'm not very familiar with them so I trust FirstTimer's judgment.

That first link is where I feel on McNutt.

Dude is overrated as hell as a starter.