The Twins, just a half-game out of first place in the AL Central, may be close to shoring up their biggest weakness: starting pitching.
Minnesota "is in the final stages of making a deal" for Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Garcia is a nine-year veteran _ eight of them with the St. Louis Cardinals _ who owns a career 3.65 ERA, though it has slipped to 4.33 this season.
Garcia earns $12 million this season, and is still owed roughly $4.7 million for the remaining two months. He can be a free agent after the season.
Garcia, traded to Atlanta last winter for pitcher John Gant and two minor leaguers, has seven games of postseason experience, including starts in Games 2 and 6 of the 2011 World Series against Texas. Garcia's postseason record is 0-3, but with a respectable 3.94 ERA.
The deal could include another player from Atlanta coming to Minnesota, though not necessarily a major leaguer. Atlanta is expected to receive Twins prospects in the deal, which was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Medical issues are being explored by the Twins; Garcia has had an injury-plagued career, including surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in 2014, and groin and shoulder issues the past couple of seasons. Garcia has never pitched more than 194 innings in a season, and that was in 2011, when he was 24. But the 31-year-old Garcia has not missed a start for the Braves this season, and last Sunday allowed one run over seven innings in a victory against Arizona.
The Twins have used 11 different starting pitchers this season, a group that owns a cumulative 4.91 ERA. Only the White Sox's and Orioles' rotations have fared worse this season.
