After so many months of trade talks dating back to 2012, Matt Garza and the Chicago Cubs appear to be working on a contract extension that would keep the right-handed hurler at Wrigley Field for a couple of seasons. What would the price range be for Garza? How many years are being discussed?
According to MLBTradeRumors, a number of pitching free agents were signed for three years, for around $13-15 million a year. Anything over three years would be too much for the Cubs to consider, especially as Theo Epstein is trying to turn the team into contenders. Ultimately, Epstein hopes to end the 100-year plus World Series drought for the Cubs and he envisions Garza as a stable force in the pitching rotation.
The Cubs acquired Garza because of his experience and success in the playoffs. While with the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays in his first five MLB seasons, Garza made two playoff appearances. He was a key figure in the Rays' success in 2008, winning the A.L. Pennant and losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. He won 15 games with the Rays in 2010, his last year in Tampa Bay, and went on to win 10 games in his first full season with the Cubs.
The main concern the Cubs had wasn't his pitching, Garza went 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA, 198 IP and 197 strikeouts. The main issue for the Cubs was Garza's health. In 2012, he made 18 starts before going down with a stress fracture in his right elbow. Now that he's healthy, the Cubs considered trading Garza, but they seem to have fallen in love with his pitching in 2013.
So far this season, since returning in May 21, Garza is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA, 57.1 IP and 52 strikeouts. He's turned it up a notch in his last four starts going 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. That's three earned runs in 30 innings pitched. The great pitching has come after giving up nine earned runs in five innings pitched back on June 11 to the Cincinnati Reds.
