MLB trade rumors: Jaime Garcia to the Twins?
The Minnesota Twins continue to hang around the top of the AL Central, and they’re reportedly on the verge of adding Jaime Garcia.
As one of the most surprising teams this year, the Minnesota Twins continue to linger around .500 (48-46 entering Friday) and a half-game back of the first-place Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The new front office brass has indicated a calculated effort to be a trade deadline buyer, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was first to report the Twins are close to acquiring Jaime Garcia from the Atlanta Braves.
Garcia is 3-7 with a 4.33 ERA over 17 starts (106 innings) for the Braves this season, with a 6.9 K/9 rate and a 3.40 BB/9 rate. His 54.7 percent groundball rare this season would be the best among Twins’ starters, and he has gone at least six innings 13 times. That ability to go fairly deep into games would stand out in a Minnesota rotation with question marks beyond Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios.
Atlanta acquired Garcia from the St. Louis Cardinals in an offseason trade, and he is making $12 million in the final year of his contact. Shoulder trouble derailed his career with the Cardinals, but he did make 30 starts in 2016 and has had no issues this year.
Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported later Thursday night that a deal for Garcia was “close to final.” Garcia was scratched from his scheduled start for Atlanta Friday night against the Dodgers, so a deal seems sure to be finalized quickly. Garcia’s past shoulder problems seem to be subject to scrutiny, and rightfully so.
I'm told #mntwins and #Braves aren't expecting to complete Jaime Garcia deal tonight, but it's "very close to final."
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) July 21, 2017
Multiple teams were previously reported to have some interest in Garcia, and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has poured some cold water on a sure-fire deal with the Twins.
Source: Jaime Garcia to the Twins is not a done deal. In fact, source said other teams are still talking to the Braves about Garcia.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 21, 2017
As of now, source says Braves are preparing for Garcia to start against the Dodgers tonight. Of course, a lot can happen in 11 hours.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 21, 2017
Next: MLB trade deadline rumors: 5 trades for the Twins
Simply due to being left-handed and being a rental player, there seems to be a solid trade market for Garcia. The Twins could use him, but parting with anything resembling a notable prospect is a bad idea.