Matt Garza Rumors: Tigers, Cubs Trade “Not Going to Happen”
Yesterday David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com reported that the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers were “down the road” in trade talks involving starting pitcher Matt Garza. Today this rumor is being refuted by the Tigers themselves as well as other league sources.
MLB.com’s Jason Beck spoke with Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski who’s said “nothing has changed” in regards to their search for starting pitching.
Last week Dombrowski told reporters that his club is not as set on adding a starter as the media is making them out to be. While Dombrowski did admit that Detroit expressed interest in Gio Gonzalez before he was shipped to the Nationals, the Tigers weren’t prepared to give up what it would take to acquire such a pitcher.
The asking price for Garza should be in line with what the Athletics were looking for in exchange for Gonzalez, as the Cubs are apparently requesting the moon in return for their right-hander.
Since his early interest in Gonzalez, Dombrowski told reporters that he doesn’t believe he’s made another call pursuing starting pitching. In the same interview Dombrowski noted that his team isn’t looking to trade top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, who’s been in the center of rumored packages that would potentially be sent to the Cubs.
Beyond the comments from Detroit’s GM, MLB.com’s Peter Gammons is also getting the sense that a Garza-to-Tigers trade is “not going to happen”. While the Cubs are interested in negotiating with the Tigers, Gammons says Detroit has told Chicago “we’re not going to do it”.
Gammons hears that the Tigers wouldn’t consider trading Turner for Garza straight-up much less sending a package of talented prospects to Chicago for the right-hander. At this point, Gammons says the Tigers are comfortable entering the 2012 season with Turner as their 5th starter and seeing what happens.
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