You heard all about the Matt Garza trade. So let’s look at who the Chicago Cubs today acquired.
You know all about Garza, and he’s gone now, so let’s move on. The Chicago Cubs put more prospects in the pipeline today. They are: infielder Mike Olt, right-handed pitcher Justin Grimm, right-handed pitcher C.J. Edwards and two players to be named from the Texas Rangers.
Olt was Texas Rangers Minor League Player of the Year last year, hitting .288, 28 home runs and 82 RBI in 95 games for Double-A Frisco prior to his major league debut with Texas last August. Olt was named a Texas League mid-season and post-season All-Star, and led the league in home runs and OPS (.977) despite missing the final month of the season due to promotion.
He played on the United States squad at the 2012 MLB Futures Game in Kansas City, and entered this season tabbed as the Rangers second-best prospect by Baseball America.
He kind of sucked at the MLB level though; at least thus far. Olt hit .152 with a double and five RBI in 16 games following his promotion, August 2. This year, he is hitting .219 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI in 68 games between Double-A Frisco (three games) and Triple-A Round Rock (65 games). You can consider him the jewel of this deal. However, don’t expect him to see him in a Chicago Cubs uniform until next year. Clearly, he’s not ready for prime time yet.
Grimm was originally selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2010 draft out of the University of Georgia. He has spent nearly the entire 2013 season at the major league level, going 7-7 with a 6.37 ERA in 17 starts with Texas. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month for April this season after going 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts, fanning 15 and walking only four. Then, what the hell happened?
The righthander made his big league debut last season after posting an 11-6 record with a 2.81 ERA in 25 appearances (22 starts) between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. He earned Texas League mid-season All-Star honors last year. He has kind of also sucked at the Major League level too. He’s not what the Chicago Cubs need right now.
Edwards has gone 8-2 with a complete game and a 1.83 ERA in 18 starts for Single-A Hickory this season. He has struck out 122 batters in 93.1 innings pitched, good for an average of 11.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, while walking just 34. A South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star, Edwards has held opponents to a .186 batting average and has not surrendered a home run.
He has good Chicago Cubs potential, just not until 2015, at earliest.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An analyst for 95.7 The Fan, he also writes on Chicago sports media for Chicago Now. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)