Minnesota Twins Jaime Garcia Trade on Hold Due to Nick Burdi

It seemed that the Minnesota Twins acquisition of Jaime Garcia from the Atlanta Braves was a done deal. Instead, the trade is off due to concerns over Nick Burdi.

The Minnesota Twins appeared to have made a much needed upgrade in their starting rotation last week. The Atlanta Braves were set to send Jaime Garcia over to the Twins in exchange for a prospect, with the deal being all but official. Atlanta had even brought Aaron Blair to California to make the start that Garcia was scheduled for, as the trade was presumed to happen.

Then, Garcia made his start. The trade was delayed, and then, suddenly, it was off. Garcia was back on the block, with other teams bidding for his services. While the Twins are still in play, they are back to square one when it comes to landing the veteran lefty.

Now, we know why the trade did not occur. The Braves were set to receive Nick Burdi in exchange for Garcia, but had an issue with his medical records. As Burdi had Tommy John surgery in May, one has to wonder what, exactly, the Braves saw that they did not expect.

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If he does end up in Minnesota, Garcia would certainly help shore up the back of the Twins starting rotation. Although his 4-7 record with a 4.30 ERA and 1.319 WHiP may not inspire much confidence, Garcia has been league average this year, with an ERA+ of exactly 100. Garcia has been better than Kyle Gibson, Hector Santiago, and the bloated remains of Bartolo Colon have given Minnesota this year. He also has a good deal of postseason experience, having made seven starts in the playoffs with St. Louis.

At this point, it is likely that Garcia ends up on another team. The Braves, despite hanging around the periphery of the postseason, are looking ahead to the 2018 campaign, when they may have a more realistic chance to contend. Garcia, a free agent after the season, is the type of trade chip that could land the Braves a solid prospect.

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That would have been the case when the Minnesota Twins were set to send Nick Burdi to the Atlanta Braves for Jaime Garcia. That is, until Burdi’s medicals showed something that the Braves did not like.