Matt

Garza

The Twins have done every they can to keep Garza in the minors, but at this point they’ve run out of other options. “I saw him in Double-A; I saw his debut,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “I was concerned maybe we pushed him hard. He proceeded to strike out 13 in front of my eyes.” Garza immediately becomes a must-grab in AL-only leagues and has huge keeper-league potential.

Well, that was disappointing. Garza, one of the game’s best pitching prospects, was coming off a 3-1 record and 1.85 ERA in 34 innings for Triple-A Rochester, so he was naturally picked up in quite a few leagues. That he gave up eight hits, walked as many as he struck out, and yielded a pair of homers weren’t good signs. The Blue Jays are certainly a tough lineup to break in against, and the Twins have no choice but to give Garza at least another start or two in the majors. We’d still grab him for his outing against the Indians in AL-only leagues, but mixed leaguers can wait.

The Twins didn’t say when Garza would debut, but Friday seems like a good guess. After Brad Radke tonight, the Twins have Johan Santana and Carlos Silva scheduled for the following two days. Garza, who was 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 33 strikeouts in five starts for Rochester, is worth using in AL-only leagues right away. He’d be worth grabbing in mixed leagues if he gets off to a good start.

A tough first assignment, but the Twins don’t have many other options. “He’s got good stuff, he’s a good teammate, he’s got a good work ethic,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “He’s got good off-field habits, and he can handle some of the things when it comes to the media attention.” Garza is a must-grab in AL-only leagues and could have mixed-league value by season’s end.

Garza struck out 11, walked none, and basically made it clear he’s done proving anything in the minors. Given that the back of the rotation is a mess, it seems clear now that the Twins should give Garza a chance.

Combining his eight starts for Single-A Fort Myers and his six in the Eastern League, Garza is 9-2 with a 1.35 ERA, 47 H and 100/20 K/BB in 80 innings. The Twins might have to give him a look before the end of the year.

Garza turned in a far better showing than he did in his first start last week. He allowed five hits, just one for extra bases, and walked two while throwing 102 pitches. Those AL-only leaguers able to play it safe may want him benched for his start in Baltimore next week. However, it’s not a bad idea to take a chance on playing him.

Garza, who came in with an ugly 11.74 ERA after losing his first two starts, gave up just five hits and one unearned run, walking one and striking out one. The 25th overall pick in 2005 managed to retire Baltimore in order just once, but got some stellar defense behind him to secure the victory. He was done after 84 pitches, and managed to lower his ERA to a more palatable 6.59. The phenom is now looking like a better gamble in AL-only leagues.

It’s starting to appear as though Garza could help the Twins in the second half of the season, assuming that the club is in contention. The 2005 first-round pick was promoted to Double-A after posting a 1.42 ERA for Single-A Fort Myers.

Garza, 1-3, gave up just five hits, two runs and a walk, while fanning a career-best seven in his fourth major league start. He retired 10 of his final 12 batters, and it was promising to see the rookie do so well at home, where he had been pounded in his other two starts. It’s clear now that he’s worth a play down the stretch.