MLB Player News

The trade sending Matt Garza to the Texas Rangers has been finalized, Yahoo! Sports reports Monday. The Cubs sent Garza to the Rangers for infielder Mike Olt, minor league pitcher C.J. Edwards, starting pitcher Justin Grimm and a player-to-be-named-later. 

Grimm has the most major-league experience with 22 appearances and 19 starts with the Rangers over the last two seasons. He was 7-7 this year with a 6.37 ERA over 17 starts with 68 strikeouts over 89 innings. Grimm should jump into the Cubs' rotation in Garza's spot. 

Olt has played in 16 big-league games, all came last season. He hit .152 in 33 at-bats with five RBI. The 24-year-old was batting .213 in 65 games with Triple-A Round Rock. 

Edwards, 21, was playing with Class A Hickory but has shown loads of potential. He's 13-5 over two pro seasons with a 1.68 ERA. He has 122 strikeouts with Hickory this season over 18 starts and 93 1/3 innings.  

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has been in a slump for about a month.

Longoria is hitting just .157/.330/.300 since June 23. Longoria's overall numbers are still solid. He's hitting .278/.258/.517 in 360 at-bats. Longoria hit a home run during Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, so that could be sign he's starting to turn things around. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria homered for the second time in three games Sunday against the Blue Jays. His solo home run leading off the fourth inning off R.A. Dickey was his 20th.

Longoria has homered three times in 16 July games but is batting .172 (10 for 58) for the month. Longoria has a double, eight RBI and 12 walks.

The Orioles have recalled Danny Valencia for Friday's game against Texas, MLB.com reports. Valencia has played 21 games for the Orioles this year with a .230/.277/.508 line and four home runs.

Rangers infield prospect Mike Olt and pitching prospect C.J. Edwards are in play in trade talks for Cubs pitcher Matt Garza, Fox Sports reports. A deal between the teams is reportedly getting closer to completion.

The Cubs have asked teams for final offers for Garza, who has been one of the most discussed names on the trade market this season. While the Rangers appear to be the furthest along in trade talks, other teams are thought to be involved in discussions for Garza.

Orioles infielder Danny Valencia will likely be promoted Thursday, according to MASN.

Valencia is no longer listed with Triple-A Norfolk and will likely replace someone going to the disabled list. Valencia is hitting .230/.277/.508 in 61 at-bats. 

Adrian Beltre doesn't figure to vacate the third base spot in Texas anytime soon, but at age 24, Mike Olt is ready to break through in the majors. The Rangers know they're running out of time to redeem his value, which is why they're trying to make him the centerpiece of a deal for Matt Garza.

But even if Olt doesn't go to the Cubs, he's a pretty safe bet to go somewhere at the trade deadline, and wherever he goes, he's pretty much sure to start right away. He's at the point where staying in the minors is doing him more harm than good.

Then again, would you really want him in Fantasy? He's hitting .211 at Triple-A Round Rock. Keep in mind, though, he was dealing with blurred vision for the first month or so. Since returning to the lineup May 31, he's batting .247 with eight homers in 174 at-bats. At worst, he's like a more patient version of Juan Francisco, which makes him worth stashing in deeper Rotisserie leagues.

Major-league sources said the Rangers are believed to be offering infield prospect Mike Olt as part of a deal to acquire Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza, reports CSN Chicago. However, Olt has dealt with vision problems in 2013 and several scouts are wary of making Olt the centerpiece to the trade.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 2 for 5 with three runs scored a 10-4 win at New York Sunday. He singled twice and is batting .265. 

The 27-year-old is 5 for 13 during a three-game hitting streak with a homer and RBI over that stretch. He's scored four runs in his last two games. Plouffe enters the break with 10 home runs and 34 RBI in 238 at-bats. 

The Twins demoted infielder Eduardo Escobar to Triple-A Rochester following Sunday's game against the Yankees. Escobar heads to the minors mired in a 3-for-28 slump in his last 13 games (seven starts).