Rosenthal: Matt Garza a Possible Target for Rangers

Even after signing closer Joe Nathan and shifting Neftali Feliz to the rotation, the Texas Rangers are sending our signals that they haven’t ruled out getting adding another starting pitcher.

Yesterday, we learned that the Rangers intend to continue their efforts to re-sign C.J. Wilson and should those fall through, they could still look to add a veteran arm via free agency or trade. In recent weeks, the Rangers have been linked to fellow free agent southpaw Mark Buehrle, whose price tag will come in a few million shy of where Wilson’s next deal figures to be.

Today, Ken Rosenthal named Cubs right hander Matt Garza as a possible trade target for the Texas ballclub.

While Rosenthal’s tweet should be viewed as mere spitballing, Garza would make sense should the Rangers decide to add an arm.

Garza will be just 28 years old when he celebrates his birthday later this week, and he’s arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter. As a former Super-Two player, Garza is under team control through the 2013 season. He earned just under $6 million with the Cubs last year and even after a projected raise, would still cost considerably less in terms of dollars than either Wilson or Buehrle.

The biggest problem with acquiring Garza is that not only would he cost the Rangers dollars, but he’ll cost prospects as well. The Cubs and their new regime lead by Theo Esptein and Jed Hoyer are committed to re-building a struggling farm system and to do so, they’ll move major league pieces.

The idea of trading Garza is one not foreign to Cubs fans and Luke Blaize of Cubbies Crib took a look at what it might take for some club to pry him from the Friendly Confines. Blaize, while conceding that a final package probably wouldn’t look like the ones he is suggesting, listed Mike Olt, Miguel De Los Santos, and Robert Ross as potential players to head to Chicago in such a deal.

The Rangers are very clearly in “win now” mode after consecutive trips to the World Series came up short; the Nathan signing does nothing if not re-enforce that notion. Texas is also blessed with an extraordinarily deep farm system and even after making the Mike Adams deal last July, have a pool of prospects with which to work.

The Rangers seem intent on operating as a big market club this winter and big market clubs, especially ones with deep farm systems, flex their muscle when the opportunity arises. Whether it be through free agency or trade, Texas appears to actually still be looking for a rotational upgrade. Garza, with his team-controlled contract and history of success in the American League, would seem as good a fit as can be had on the market.

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