The Chicago Cubs have watched fellow NL Central teams make splashy moves thus far in the off-season.Today they decided it was their turn when they acquired Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays for Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee and Sam Fuld.
Did the Cubs pay too much? They received Garza, Fernando Perez, a 27 year old outfielder who hit .223 with a .280 OBP in 426 at bats with Triple-A last year, and a pitching prospect.
Chris Archer was ranked #1 on Baseball America's Cubs top prospects, while Hak-Ju Lee was # 4, and Brandon Guyer was #10. Archer has future star written all over him. He split time between High A Daytona and AA Tennessee where he totaled a 15-3 record with a 2.34 ERA. He struck out 149 batters while walking 65.
The Cubs had a great farm system, and just let go three players with unlimited potential in a # 1 or 2 starter with Archer who may only be a few years away if that from making an impact, a potential lead-off hitter in Hak Ju-Lee a late blooming catcher in Robinson Chirinos, and a solid outfielder in Brandon Guyner.
If Jim Hendry is trying to compete with the moves of the Brewers, it did not work out the first time although the Cubs hardly gave up any solid prospects. In 2008, the Brewers acquired C.C. Sabathia from Cleveland, and just days later the Cubs acquired Rich Harden from Oakland. This scenario will undoubtedly go better than the one in 2008, but something to think about after the Brewers acquired Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum less than a month ago.
Matt Garza can easily turn in an All-Star caliber year in 2011, but I believe the price the Cubs paid was too high for a pitcher like Garza.
Does this trade make the Cubs legitimate contenders in the NL Central with the Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers? For Jim Hendry's sake, you'd have to hope so.
Photo by: TampaBay.com
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