By July all of the teams in the majors can be placed into three categories; the lucky few that know they have enough talent on their roster to make a run for the pennant, those that need to add a few pieces to prepare for the playoff push and the teams that are already dreaming about next season who might be willing to part way with some of their key players.
The Chicago Cubs fall into that last category as their loyal fans find themselves once again with no reason to head out to Wrigley other than the warm sun and the cold Old Style. This year as the Cubs wait until next year they are holding on to one of the most sought after pitchers of the trade deadline, Matt Garza, reports The Sporting News.
Garza is only 29-years-old, has playoff experience from his time in Tampa Bay and has consistently been good if not great throughout his career. He won't be a number one starter for a contender but then again, a team wouldn't be a contender if they were still looking for a number one starter. Garza has been injury prone in years past but since his last trip to the DL he has been amazing; 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in his last four starts, according to The Sporting News.
"He's the best guy on the block and they know it, so they are looking for the kind of package the Brewers got for (Zack) Greinke," a National League executive told The Sporting News. "They know the choices are thin and now they put it out there that they have discussed an extension, so of course the price can now go up."
Some of the teams that have shown interest in Garza are the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals. All of the teams mentioned have the prospects to deal if they want to. Boston has shown interest in Garza in the past but it's not clear where he would fit into their rotation, according to The Sporting News.
The Cubs have already traded pitcher Scott Feldman to the Baltimore Orioles but even if they make a deal to send Garza out of town as well they likely aren't done dealing yet. Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer are also keen to part ways with Alfonso Soriano, according to Bleacher Report.
The 37-year-old veteran outfielder has been on quite a tear recently hitting five homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games. Soriano, especially in his later years, has been notorious for slow starts and it looks like he is getting hot just in time for the Cubs to trade him. That is, if anyone is willing to take his contract. While Soriano no longer produces like a superstar he gets paid like one; Soriano is owed $26 million, according to ESPN.
Although, ESPN also reports that a major league source said that the Cubs might be willing to pay the majority of what's remaining on Soriano's contract if the right deal is made. Soriano also has a no trade clause through the 10-5 rule (10 years in MLB, 5 with the same team) and he may not like the idea of going to the American League to become a DH.
"It is very hard for me to think about being a DH," Soriano told ESPN. "My whole career I have played in the field. I am 37, but I feel younger. I have proved myself and everybody that my defense has gotten better. I have to start thinking about DH."
There may also be some minor interest in the Cubs' Kevin Gregg. There are a bunch of teams out there that are looking for an arm in the bullpen and Gregg at least has some closer experience and doesn't appear to fit into the long term plans of the Cubs.
