It was widely assumed that when Masahiro Tanaka finally signed with a MLB team, that the remaining free agent starters would start finding homes soon afterwards. That has proven to be the case as the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to terms with right handed starter Matt Garza on a 4-year contract worth $52 million. The deal is pending a physical.
Garza, 30, is familiar to the NL Central as he began the last three seasons with the Chicago Cubs before a July trade to the Texas Rangers. He posted a combined 10-6 record with a 3.82 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 136/42 K/BB ratio over 155 1/3 innings last season between the Cubs and Rangers. Garza owns a career 3.84 ERA and 1.283 WHIP over parts of eight years in the Major Leagues.
Garza joins a Brewers rotation that also includes Kyle Lohse, Yovani Gallardo, and Wily Peralta. Marco Estrada and Tyler Thornburg are expected to compete to decide who will fill the role of fifth starter, and who will be the long relief man out of the Brewers bullpen.
A solid starter, the main concern with Garza remains his health. He has spent time on the disabled list in each of the past three years, including six weeks on the DL in 2013 with a rib-cage strain. In 2011 and 2012, he missed starts with elbow problems, but was able to avoid surgery.
Garza’s signing leaves Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana, and Bronson Arroyo as the most desirable starting pitchers still available on the free agent market. Santana and Jimenez both received qualifying offers from their former clubs and so draft pick compensation must be given should they sign with a new team.
Elsewhere, one of Garza’s former teams, the Tampa Bay Rays have signed the best reliever still on the market. The Rays agreed to a 2-year deal worth $12 million with free agent right-hander Grant Balfour. Balfour was the closer for the Oakland Athletics last season and will assume the same role with the Rays. The deal is also pending a physical.
It was believed that Balfour had a two-year $15 million deal earlier in the off-season with the Baltimore Orioles, but that deal fell apart after the Orioles became concerned with results of the physical. However Balfour, and his agent, have been quite vocal that he is perfectly healthy and have even produced independent doctors to verify that claim.
The 36-year-old Balfour, saved 38 games in 41 chances with a 2.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings last season for the Athletics. He will take over the closer’s role from departed free agent Fernando Rodney. Balfour became available when the Orioles traded Jim Johnson to the A’s.
Balfour was a member of the Rays from 2007-2010.
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