Its been awhile since we heard anything on the Matt Garza front. But we've got a little more smoke blowing out of the Chicago media.
David Kaplan of CSN Chicago wrote today:
Excellent baseball sources have confirmed for me tonight that the Cubs are down the road in discussions with the Detroit Tigers to send Matt Garza to the Motor City in exchange for a package of prospects.
In case you, like me, wondered what the heck "down the road" means, he clarified on Twitter:
When I say "down the road" on trade talks with the Tigers for Garza I mean that talks have progressed far beyond the initial stages.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus added:
Heard Tigers are open to talking Jacob Turner, but far more reticent when it comes to 3B Nick Castellanos.
Last week, we heard reports that Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski wasn't "shopping" Jacob Turner. I highlighted Lynn Henning's story, but MLB.com's Jason Beck wrote a similar story saying the Tigers weren't pursuing starting pitchers.
I noticed in the comments section, and maybe I should have addressed it, that people seemed to take this to mean Dombrowski wouldn't trade Turner. But he very clearly didn't say that. There's a difference between calling up fellow GMs to ask what they'll give you for Turner, and listening to their suggestions of trading a veteran player for Turner. It's possible Turner could be traded still, but he's not being actively marketed.
That said, I still don't feel like the Tigers are going to be moving Turner and others for Garza. I mean, I'm not always right -- despite what Big Al tells you at the start of every podcast. But this suggested trade possibility just doesn't smell right to me given Dombrowski's history. Maybe it gets done if the Cubs accept less than Turner, but I just don't see how you could justify trading Turner for Garza when he's just not necessary at this point.