The Red Sox are among the teams “actively talking” to the Cubs about pitcher Matt Garza, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. The Cubs reportedly are also talking to the Rangers, Blue Jays, Indians and Dodgers, and they might be having discussions with the Orioles and a couple of teams in the NL West as well.
Garza is considered by some to be the best pitcher available leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He has pitched well of late, and Chicago appears willing to trade the right-hander to help its rebuilding process.
Garza is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA in nine starts this season after tossing eight innings of one-run ball Wednesday. He owns a 61-62 record and 3.82 ERA over the course of eight big-league seasons, which have come with the Cubs, Rays and Twins.
Garza, a former first-round pick in 2005, has a track record of pitching well in the AL East, which could be attractive to Boston. He went 34-31 with a 3.86 ERA in three seasons with the Rays from 2008 to 2010.
Olney described Garza as “the belle of the ball in the trade market.”
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