As I reported earlier this morning, newcomer Jaime Garcia could be dealt after one career start with the Twins. But it might go right up to the 3 p.m. Monday deadline before we know for sure.
Right now, Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray and Dan Straily (nice work putting him on and pulling him off then putting him back on the market, Marlins) are the most talked about starters on the market. Contenders like the Dodgers, Cubs and Yankees appear to be more focused on figuring out which assets it will take to land one of those three. Darvish is the impact arm but is a free agent after the season. Gray and Straily have arbitration years left and therefore are controllable assets that will take more to land.
Garcia is on another level. He's is a run of good form right now but is not an impact arm. He's more of a guy to strengthen the middle or back end of a rotation. And he's a free agent.
So Garcia probably looms as a fallback option. Whoever doesn't land one of the three aforementioned arms could then turn attention to Garcia. And that might not happen until minutes before the deadline. So the Twins might have to wait for their chance.
But if Jeremy Hellickson can be dealt, anything is possible.
As I reported, a source told me the Dodgers and Yankees have inquired about Garcia. And you can add the Red Sox too. They are looking at starting options after David Price's latest breakdown, and remain on the lookout for relief help.
Could the Twins trade someone else? Maybe, but I was told the market for Twins players isn't as robust as you think. Brian Dozier has not had his annual hot streak. Ervin Santana has not pitched that well lately, is 34 and has two years left on his deal. Brandon Kintzler would be a great addition as a set up man. While he's done a marvelous job as a closer, teams want velocity arms in those roles.
It just isn't the group of players that would attract offers with top prospects. It could change as the 3 p.m. Monday deadline nears, but that's what I'm hearing right now.
