The trade talk surrounding Rays right-hander Matt Garza began to heat up this week as teams looked to fortify their pitching. The Brewers and Rangers have talked to Tampa Bay about a possible swap but the Cubs were said to have the strongest bid.
Texas is one club that is eyeing Garza as a Plan B if they are unable to land Zack Greinke in a trade. The asking price for the 2009 AL Cy Young award winner is said to be sky-high and Garza could obviously be had for less. Meanwhile, the Rays are flush with pitching and have holes to patch up elsewhere.
When considering Tampa Bay's needs and Garza's rising value, it seems like Garza is a strong trade candidate this offseason. However, prior to the winter meetings, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times opined that the Rays will hang on to their pitchers until this summer unless the offers are exceptionally strong.
