Jays + Rangers in on Garza

[Angrioter]

Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Cecil all tell Sportsnet's Shi Davidi that the Blue Jays already have the talent to turn their season around. Bautista, for one, doesn't think GM Alex Anthopoulos necessarily needs to make any further roster additions. “Alex is not out on the field playing for us, we’re totally capable of playing a lot better baseball than we’ve shown, we just need to play better as a team,” Bautista said. If the Jays don't make any moves, Bautista "wouldn’t look too much into it" since Anthopoulos “made plenty of moves in the off-season to make our team the best team that he could put on the field.”

 

jhjhjj

[baseballsss]

I've pretty much lost all faith in Morrow.

 

FFS I just bought your freaking jersey man. Can't you at least have a good season or two? WHY

 

uumm you've heard of the ECJF curse haven't you?

[G-Snarls]

uumm you've heard of the ECJF curse haven't you?

 

Yeah. Hey, East: Go buy a Bonifacio jersey so that he ends up in the 60 day DL too. Thanks.

Edited July 16, 2013 by G-Snarls

[SAAviour]

His comments made it clear that they moved lawrie to 2nd so Bautista could move to 3rd in the offseason, leaving an infield of EE, lawrie, Reyes, and Bautista...all anchored by arencebia.

[G-Snarls]

His comments made it clear that they moved lawrie to 2nd so Bautista could move to 3rd in the offseason, leaving an infield of EE, lawrie, Reyes, and Bautista...all anchored by arencebia.

 

You had me until "Arencibia"

[sachmo55]

His comments made it clear that they moved lawrie to 2nd so Bautista could move to 3rd in the offseason, leaving an infield of EE, lawrie, Reyes, and Bautista...all anchored by arencebia.

 

Can Jose's back handle 3B?

[Angrioter]

Janssen and Oliver will be trade the next week

[flafson]

jhjhjj

 

He's right, we do have enough talent.

[Stangstag]

Can Jose's back handle 3B?

 

If he is given the whole offseason to prepare for playing 3B, I think he should be fine.

[SAAviour]

You had me until "Arencibia"

Haha yeah it was looking good till that point.

How bout change it to....all anchored by McCann!

[mitchf]

I don't know if this is what they're planning, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. This team needs to start considering defense. Bautista in 3056 career innings at 3B is a below-average defender; between -5 and -10 runs per 150 games according to DRS. All but 230 of those innings were played while younger than 30 years old. Now we're going to throw a 33-year old Bautista at a position he hasn't really played in years, where he was below-average in his prime? Oh yeah, he has back issues too!

 

This is very much a typical Blue Jays move in that its completely idiotic and ignorant.

But DeRosa showed he can play 3B at 38 years old... Bautista is only 32... Isn't that how it works?

[Angrioter]

I don't know if this is what they're planning, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. This team needs to start considering defense. Bautista in 3056 career innings at 3B is a below-average defender; between -5 and -10 runs per 150 games according to DRS and UZR. All but 230 of those innings were played while younger than 30 years old. Now we're going to throw a 33-year old Bautista at a position he hasn't really played in years, where he was below-average in his prime? Oh yeah, he has back issues too!

 

This is very much a typical Blue Jays move in that its completely idiotic and ignorant.

 

A 32 or 33 years old OFer should move to DH, LF or 1B ...Move him to 3B isn't a good idea.

[G-Snarls]

Yeah. It makes sense to either keep him in RF or move him to 1B. 3B would be nuts.

 

So you're suggesting Michael Young after all, then eh?

 

J/K

[Angrioter]

So you're suggesting Michael Young after all, then eh?

 

J/K

 

Delmon Young + Michael Young for Stroman + Sanchez + Rajai

[Angrioter]

Garza market: Texas says no on Perez, D-Backs in the picture

 

 

The Rangers, Indians and Diamondbacks are among several teams in on the sweepstakes for Cubs right-hander Matt Garza, the clear No. 1 pitcher on the trade market, while the Red Sox are a team that's said to be thinking about it.

 

The Rangers, a team deep in prospects, with a rotation in flux (Yu Darvish and Alexi Ogando are expected back soon, but Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison not until later), have been tied most to the Cubs, at least in reports. While the idea that they could include young left-hander Martin Perez in a Garza package has been advanced publicly, sources are adamant that Perez will not be in any deal, which is logical considering he's producing in the rotation already.

 

The Diamondbacks are an interesting new entry into the chase for Garza, as they have good young pitching to offer, and their GM, Kevin Towers, was Cubs president Theo Epstein's mentor in San Diego.

 

Arizona's pitching has been surprisingly inconsistent this year, and its reported plan to concentrate on pitchers who are non-rentals may have to be out the window in an extremely limited starting-pitching market. Towers, though, has strong ties to White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy, who's expected to hit the market as soon as his broken rib heals, and Peavy may be more attractive to Towers as a non-rental. (His contract runs through next year.)

 

The Cubs seek top-tier prospects, according to rival teams, and that shouldn't surprise anyone as Garza is 5-0 with a 1.24 ERA over his past six starts. However, with Cubs top honchos conceding that the team is probably a year away from contention, it may not be necessary to include major-league ready or close-to-major-league ready prospects, as long as the ones lower down are considered high-ceiling guys by Cubs people. The Cubs are well-stocked with big positional prospects, so presumably pitching would be slightly preferred, though potential is surely the key.

 

Garza, free-agent eligible after the year, is aware he's likely to be traded this month, as was reported here. The Cubs and Garza briefly weighed an extension for him, but talks didn't immediately produce a deal, practically sealing his fate as the top man likely to go on the trade block.

 

The Red Sox, with a deep stash of prospects -- particularly arms (some of whom who were acquired in Epstein's regime), would be a major threat if they join the fray in full force. Boston reports are painting the Red Sox as a long shot, as they don't like to surrender top prospects, of which they have many. (Beyond Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, they have pitchers Matt Barnes, Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Henry Owens and Drake Britton.)

 

A Boston-connected person, asked if they are in the derby, said “not as of yet.'' The suggestion is that perhaps their commitment to the fray may depend on the health of Clay Buchholz, the star starter with a neck issue who had his throwing session pushed back until Thursday.

 

The Indians, seeking only a top-of-the-rotation prospect, are a player, as was reported here, and sources suggest the Cardinals have some interest, though it's not easy to imagine a big Cubs-Cardinals deal, as Danny Knobler wrote about Monday.

 

Teams said to be most prominent in talks are said to be seeking a No. 1 or 2 starter, which makes sense. The Dodgers have been tied to Garza but seem to be concentrating on the pen after firming up an excellent rotation by adding dependable Ricky Nolasco. Jim Bowden of Sirius mentioned the Pirates, Rockies and Nationals, but the Rockies have been reluctant to take on salary (Garza has close to $5 million to go this year) and any Nats pursuit may be dependent on the progress of Dan Haren and perhaps Ross Detwiler.

 

The Giants and Padres were said to be interested at one point, but their recent slides have, in all likelihood, taken them out of the buying mood. The Orioles didn't match up, and when they took Cubs starter Scott Feldman they were obviously out on Garza. The Blue Jays have been tied to Garza, too, but as of two days ago a source said there had been almost no talk about Garza on the part of the Jays. Things can change at this time of the year, of course.

 

 

Garza Garza

[ElNik2013]

Garza Garza

 

 

 

I know this doesn't confirm anything, but it's funny how nuts people have been going over a rumor that the Jays were a front-runner.

[G-Snarls]

MLBTR:

 

The Cubs are asking teams for their "last and best offers" for Garza, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, and other clubs think he's thrown his last pitch as a Cub. In a separate pair of tweets, Olney adds that while the Rangers don't want to move Perez, they have other pitching prospects such as C.J. Edwards and Luke Jackson that could be of interest to the Cubs. Jackson ranked as the team's No. 6 prospect prior to the season according to Baseball America, while Edwards ranked 14th. Both have had strong minor league seasons.

 

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Rangers have the most motivation to acquire Garza and have had extensive talks with the Cubs.

 

If the Rangers don't acquire Garza, rival executives see the Cardinals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Dodgers as the likeliest destinations, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

[G-Snarls]

Why the Cards? They don't need a rental with Carpentar back in a week or so.

 

Well, we could take Wainwright off their hands if they need to, you know, make room

[Angrioter]

Why the Cards? They don't need a rental with Carpentar back in a week or so.

 

The Cards can do wherever they want...Best organization in baseball

[imsorry4beatinU]

Garza please go to the Rangers! Dickey should have went there too last offseason...

[Angrioter]

Almost closed

Rangers get Garza

Cubs get Olt ++

[flafson]

What makes you say Olt? As a blocked prospect he's possibly included but I don't any confirmation he's the guy here.

 

MLBTR mentioned him.

[G-Snarls]

@Ken_Rosenthal: One official in #Rangers-#Cubs talks believes Garza deal getting closer. Prospects from various levels in play. Olt “possibly” involved.