Garza traded to the Rangers

[SoxSpeed22]

The Rangers realized that this could be their last shot for several years. Good haul for the Cubs, and this could drive up the demand for Peavy.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by TaylorStSox

If we got Profar for Peavy you'd still find a reason to complain.

Stop it.

[The Immigrant]

Originally Posted by SoxSpeed22

Good haul for the Cubs, and this could drive up the demand for Peavy.

Colon getting suspended is what will drive up the demand for Peavy.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by The Immigrant

Colon getting suspended is what will drive up the demand for Peavy.

I think the bigger problem is a lack of serious buyers. Especially if Boston doesn't feel it needs a high end starter.

[soxfanreggie]

Originally Posted by hawkjt

Olt and Edwards?

I think Garza is considered the top starter on the market,and this seems only like a so-so return.

Hope Jake can fetch something decent.

I do think that teams do not send their top prospects away in trades much these days.

For a rental pitcher who may leave in FA and allowing them to shed salary, it isn't too bad.

[DirtySox]

Great haul for Garza, especially if Neil Ramirez is one of the 2 PTBNL in this deal. Kudos Cubs you have quite the enviable farm system.

[balke]

Still baffled by the Twins ever trading Garza. He looked to me then like he'd be the second coming of Brad Radke.

[CoopaLoop]

@GDubCub 1m Cubs' PTNBL deal with Tex works like this: If they choose Ramirez, deal's done. If they don't take him, they get to select 2 from a pool.

[JB98]

I think it's a great deal for the Rangers. Garza has been pitching outstanding this year. Texas has a much better chance to overtake Oakland now. The Rangers would be dangerous in a short playoff series, too, with Darvish, Garza and Holland at the top of their rotation.

What position will Olt play with the Cubs? I hear Bryant is going to be great at 3B, so they would have to be thinking of moving Olt to a corner OF, no?

That A-ball pitcher sounds like an interesting prospect, but obviously, we won't know for a few years whether he'll be able to help the Cubs.

I'm not impressed with Grimm. He's just filler.

[Fastball23]

Looks like Soriano will be traded to the Yankees.

[cards press box]

Originally Posted by JB98

I think it's a great deal for the Rangers. Garza has been pitching outstanding this year. Texas has a much better chance to overtake Oakland now. The Rangers would be dangerous in a short playoff series, too, with Darvish, Garza and Holland at the top of their rotation.

What position will Olt play with the Cubs? I hear Bryant is going to be great at 3B, so they would have to be thinking of moving Olt to a corner OF, no?

That A-ball pitcher sounds like an interesting prospect, but obviously, we won't know for a few years whether he'll be able to help the Cubs.

I'm not impressed with Grimm. He's just filler.

+1. Having said that, Mike Olt will probably be the Cub third baseman pretty soon even though he has regressed at AAA. He had an eye injury (a malfunctioning tear duct) at the beginning of the year and while that has been remedied, he hasn't hit that well at AAA. Baseball Prospectus projects Olt to be a .240-.250 hitter with some power, decent walks and average defense at third base. That sounds to me like Conor Gillaspie with less defense and less batting average. Gillaspie's career minor league batting average was .287. Olt's is .269.

The package that the Cubs received from Texas is also far less impressive than the prospects the Cubs dealt to Tampa Bay to get Garza in the first place. I have no doubt that the Cubs would deal every player they got in this latest deal to re-acquire starter Chris Archer if they could. I am also quite sure that the Rays would never do that.

And you are right about Single A pitchers. Hard to say how they will turn out. Before the 2012 season the Sox dealt Jason Frasor for two Single A pitchers, Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb. Webb dominated at A and AA this year but has struggled at AAA so far. Jaye dominated at low A this year but has struggled at high A so far. So, we'll have to see about Jaye and Webb, as well as the single A pitcher that the Cubs just acquired.

And, finally, if the Sox had dealt Jake Peavy for a package led by Olt, I think that this board would have lit up like a Christmas tree and not in a good way.

[Domeshot17]

Originally Posted by cards press box

+1. Having said that, Mike Olt will probably be the Cub third baseman pretty soon even though he has regressed at AAA. He had an eye injury (a malfunctioning tear duct) at the beginning of the year and while that has been remedied, he hasn't hit that well at AAA. Baseball Prospectus projects Olt to be a .240-.250 hitter with some power, decent walks and average defense at third base. That sounds to me like Conor Gillaspie with less defense and less batting average. Gillaspie's career minor league batting average was .287. Olt's is .269.

The package that the Cubs received from Texas is also far less impressive than the prospects the Cubs dealt to Tampa Bay to get Garza in the first place. I have no doubt that the Cubs would deal every player they got in this latest deal to re-acquire starter Chris Archer if they could. I am also quite sure that the Rays would never do that.

And you are right about Single A pitchers. Hard to say how they will turn out. Before the 2012 season the Sox dealt Jason Frasor for two Single A pitchers, Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb. Webb dominated at A and AA this year but has struggled at AAA so far. Jaye dominated at low A this year but has struggled at high A so far. So, we'll have to see about Jaye and Webb, as well as the single A pitcher that the Cubs just acquired.

And, finally, if the Sox had dealt Jake Peavy for a package led by Olt, I think that this board would have lit up like a Christmas tree and not in a good way.

Now lets be totally fair... Olt and Connor are 2 totaallllyyy different prospects. Olt is not a 7-12 homer guy, he is a 20-25 or better HR guy... Olt's floor is Gillaspie's ceiling.

[Tragg]

Originally Posted by Domeshot17

Now lets be totally fair... Olt and Connor are 2 totaallllyyy different prospects. Olt is not a 7-12 homer guy, he is a 20-25 or better HR guy... Olt's floor is Gillaspie's ceiling.

Agree, although Olt's ceiling seems to be caving in. The relevant point is that we need a 3b. Gillespie is a backup and it would really help if he could play OF too.

[rdivaldi]

Originally Posted by cards press box

And, finally, if the Sox had dealt Jake Peavy for a package led by Olt, I think that this board would have lit up like a Christmas tree and not in a good way.

Without a doubt. A 25 year old, low-average, high strikeout slugger like Olt would have brought out the torches and pitchforks.

[JB98]

Originally Posted by cards press box

+1. Having said that, Mike Olt will probably be the Cub third baseman pretty soon even though he has regressed at AAA. He had an eye injury (a malfunctioning tear duct) at the beginning of the year and while that has been remedied, he hasn't hit that well at AAA. Baseball Prospectus projects Olt to be a .240-.250 hitter with some power, decent walks and average defense at third base. That sounds to me like Conor Gillaspie with less defense and less batting average. Gillaspie's career minor league batting average was .287. Olt's is .269.

The package that the Cubs received from Texas is also far less impressive than the prospects the Cubs dealt to Tampa Bay to get Garza in the first place. I have no doubt that the Cubs would deal every player they got in this latest deal to re-acquire starter Chris Archer if they could. I am also quite sure that the Rays would never do that.

And you are right about Single A pitchers. Hard to say how they will turn out. Before the 2012 season the Sox dealt Jason Frasor for two Single A pitchers, Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb. Webb dominated at A and AA this year but has struggled at AAA so far. Jaye dominated at low A this year but has struggled at high A so far. So, we'll have to see about Jaye and Webb, as well as the single A pitcher that the Cubs just acquired.

And, finally, if the Sox had dealt Jake Peavy for a package led by Olt, I think that this board would have lit up like a Christmas tree and not in a good way.

No question about it. When the Cubs make a move like this, it's regarded as a stroke of genius. If the Sox had made a similar move, they would be declared idiots.

Over the last two summers, the Cubs have dealt four established MLB starters (Dempster, Maholm, Feldman, Garza) for packages of ifs and maybes. Could it work? Sure. It could also fail miserably. I'm just a bit baffled that so many of the writers in this town are convinced each move the Cubs make is going to prove to be brilliant over the long haul. We don't know that yet and we won't know it for years.