The Chicago Cubs look to be getting some strong prospects in exchange for Matt Garza, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports the Texas Rangers will be shipping out third baseman Mike Olt and pitcher C.J. Edwards as part of the deal.
Matt Garza trade: Cubs will receive Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm, per report
The Cubs look to be getting a solid return for Matt Garza as Mike Olt and C.J. Edwards headline the package coming to Chicago.
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Long rumored to be key pieces in negotiations between the two clubs, Olt and Edwards likely represent the two biggest pieces heading to Chicago in the deal. Starting pitcher Justin Grimm will also be heading to the Cubs, according to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan, while other reports say a player to be named later will be included.
For the Cubs, getting Olt represents an impressive coup for the club. Ranked by Baseball America and MLB.com as the No. 22 prospect in all of baseball entering the 2013 season, the third baseman could quickly carve out a role with the Cubs that simply didn’t exist in Texas.
Edwards didn’t enter the season with remotely as much hype as other Rangers prospects, but he’s thrived in his second pro season. Making 18 starts for Single-A Hickory, the 21-year-old has a 1.83 ERA with 122 strikeouts and 34 walks over 93.1 innings.
Grimm brings the most experience of the bunch, as he started 17 games for Texas this season. The right-handed pitcher struggled badly, posting a 6.37 ERA, but it's not surprising Theo Epstein and Jason McLeod targeted him after the duo drafted him in 2007 while running the Red Sox.
By adding Olt and these other prospects to the mix, Chicago continues to build towards an impressive base of talent under Epstein.
Considering the heavy price paid by Texas, the Rangers clearly believe Garza could be a difference-maker down the stretch this season. Still, it’s a lot to give up for what amounts to a rental, so Garza will need to come through with some great performances in the coming months to make this deal worthwhile.
In 11 starts this season, Garza is 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA.
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