Friday, June 27, 2008

Rays' Garza worth a flyer?

So, you saw the 1-hitter.


The 10 K's.

And your mouth started watering, ever so slightly.

You've checked out the game log. How he struck out 8 Astros last outing and 10 Rangers on May 28.

Still, something is keeping you from pulling the trigger on Matt Garza.

Believe me, you're not alone.

That 1.54 WHIP last season rings loud in your ear. Sure, his ERA is down to 3.76 but it was hovering at 4.10 before Thursday's masterpiece and that K rate of 46 in 74 2/3 IP doesn't make you pat down the goose bumps.

But if Garza's still available, here's a quick pro/con list to consider.

Pro: His WHIP seems to be under control with six straight games of 2 or fewer walks.

Con: His 10 strikeouts came to the Marlins, who lead the majors in Ks.

Pro: His minor league numbers support Garza being a top-20 pitcher.

Con: He plays in a division where he faces the Yankees and Red Sox 19 times each.

Pro: After seeing the Red Sox Tuesday, Garza won't see either Boston or New York until August.

Con: The Rays have two series each against Boston and New York in September.

In a limited-move mixed league, Garza finally got snatched tonight after I went back and forth on him the past 24+ hours.

But he could be the type of prospect that's really turning the corner and the recent high K rate is a good sign of things to come.

Don't drop someone with a solid track record, but if anyone's teetering on the fence, Garza him right off.

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