Picking up a great pitcher through a trade isn’t as easy as getting blackberry curve deals but, the Yankees and Red Sox are hoping it is! With the trade deadline quite a ways away, that won’t stop the internet rumor mill from starting!
According to CBSSports.com insider, Jon Heyman Matt Garza is the top target for the New York Yankees and possibly even the Boston Red Sox.
Among all of the pitchers that could be available towards the trade deadline, Garza has drawn the most interest from the Yankees. The Yankees like Garza because he has proven that he could pitch in the American League and especially the AL East. Before being traded to the Cubs, Garza spent three season with the Tampa Bay Rays where he went 34-31 with a 3.86. Garza was a big piece of the 2008 Rays team that lost to the Phillies in the the World Series. He won the ACLS MVP in 2008 with two wins in the series with 1.38 ERA.
Other starters that may be available are Zack Grienke, Shawn Marcum and Ryan Dempster. But the Yankees are worried about Grienke and Marcum in Yankee Stadium and how Dempster would transition to AL. So the best option would be Garza.
With the Cubs looking to rebuild, Garza does not appear to be an ace that the Cubs can put trust in. Now that his value is high, the Cubs should let the bidding war between the Yankees and their rival Red Sox. Both teams are desperate for another starter. Besides CC Sabathia, the Yankees have many question marks in their rotation. As for the Red Sox, they have a lot of question all across their rotation. Beckett and Lester have both been very inconsistent so far this year.
If the Cubs are willing to move Garza, they would be targeting pitching prospects, which they lack in the minors.
The Yankees appear to be the better suitor for the Cubs to deal with. Depending on how much the Yankees are willing to give up for Garza, the Cubs could really cash in. The Yankees top prospect, Manny Banuelos is the top lefty prospect and number 10 overall, according to MLB.com. Also, the Yankees number two prospect(36 overall) is a right handed starter that is almost ready for a big league call up. Besides those two, the Yankees have five other starting pitchers in their top 20 prospects.
As for the Red Sox, their top pitching prospect is still about two or three years away from being ready. Other than that, the Red Sox don’t have many pitching prospects that are that impressive. In order for the Red Sox to get Garza, I believe they would have to give up Will Middlebrooks(3B) or Bryce Bentz(OF).
Besides Garza, the Cubs could also draw interest for Ryan Dempster. ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney reported this morning that the Cubs will “probably” trade Dempster and a deal could be struck in a few weeks, after the draft is over.
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