This would have been too rich for my blood. Good news that Sabean passed or exercised discretion or did not have enough to offer here. Not good news as far as what this does to the price for our #1 target Bud Norris.
from Bleacher Report:
Matt Garza to Rangers: Cubs Reportedly Trade Star SP to Texas | Bleacher Report:
In return, the Cubs received two of the Rangers' top-five prospects (Olt and Grimm), as rated by J.J. Cooper of Baseball America prior to the 2013 season. Olt is the biggest prize, as he was ranked as Baseball America's 22nd-best prospect in the sport before the start of the season.
While Garza is far from an ace, he's a solid middle-of-the-rotation pitcher who should really improve the Rangers pitching. Still, he's likely a rental player, as he's in his final year of salary arbitration.
But if he helps Texas win a World Series, most will forget how much the Rangers gave up to get him.
'via Blog this'
UPDATE:
Cubs do well for themselves, extracting one of the top Rangers prospects. One bat and one arm.
from mlb.com Prospect Watch:
Scouting Grades* (present/future): Hit: 4/5 | Power: 5/6 | Run: 3/3 | Arm: 6/6 | Field: 5/5 | Overall: 5/6
There are those who feel Olt is ready to play every day at third base in the big leagues, and could do so for a number of teams. The issue for Olt is that the Rangers aren't one of them, with Adrian Beltre standing in his way at the hot corner. When he was up briefly in 2012, he played some first base and some corner outfield, but that's not a condemnation of his skills at third. His hands, range and arm, the last of which being his best defensive tool, all play very well at that position, leaving little doubt about his ability to stay there long-term. Olt may not hit for a really high average, and fans should be prepared for a good amount of strikeouts, but he'll also draw a ton of walks and is a better all-around hitter than many anticipated. The power is legit, too, and it's not a projection. Olt's ready to hit the ball out to any field at any time. All he needs is a regular opportunity to do so.
Scouting Grades* (present/future): Fastball: 5/6 | Curveball: 3/5 | Changeup: 3/5 | Control: 4/5 | Overall: 4/5
It’s not often that a 48th-round Draft pick creates buzz in a system, especially one as deep as the Rangers’. But the improvement Edwards has shown since signing has been impressive. He made his pro debut in 2012 by tossing 20 scoreless innings in the Arizona League, earning a promotion to the more advanced short-season Northwest League. He wasn’t fazed by the challenge, striking out 11.49 per nine innings over his 47 innings of work. Long and lean, Edwards has some deception to his delivery, making his fastball, which already can be above-average, even harder to pick up. His secondary stuff needs to be developed more, but he’s shown an ability to spin a breaking ball and a feel for his changeup, giving him the chance to have three average or better offerings. He has a long way to go, but it’s hard to imagine a more encouraging start.
No comments:
Post a Comment