Matt Garza to Brewers- four years, $52 million

[Guest]

The Brewers have agreed to sign free agent starting pitcher Matt Garza to a four-year, $52 million deal, Jon Heyman confirms. The deal is pending a physical, which is important here because we've seen a Grant Balfour deal fall apart after a physical and also because Garza is coming off two injury-plagued seasons.

Garza, 30, was arguably the top starting pitcher left on the market after Masahiro Tanaka signed with the Yankees Wednesday. The right-hander was 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA (106 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP and 136 strikeouts in 155 1/3 innings last season with the Cubs (11 starts) and Rangers (13 starts).

In 60 starts for the Cubs, Garza was 21-18 with a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, so heading back to the NL Central bodes well for his chances at success.

Garza joins Yovani Gallardo, Kyle Lohse, Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta in the Brewers' probable rotation.

With Garza off the market, the top three starting pitchers available are Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana and Bronson Arroyo -- and the former two have draft-pick compensation tied to them.

News of the signing was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-...-year-52m-deal

The Brewers are definitely a surprise team to come out and get Garza. I thought with Tanaka off the market, the Cubs and the Mariners would be after him.

[Woy]

Can he play first base?

[JimLeavy59]

I'm sure Gooby is somewhere nutting his pants, meh another 70 win season for the crew.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't like Garza, never have, but this is cheap.

[Guest]

I don't like Garza, never have, but this is cheap.

I never have either but if the Orioles were willing to spend that amount on Nelson Cruz, suck up the fourth year for a pitcher and sign Garza.

[NAHSTE]

Garza stinks. Brewers are awful. They deserve each other.

Steve (Brooklyn)

Garza gets 4/52 from the Brewers. Not bad.

Klaw (1:23 PM)

Great for him. Disaster for them. Of course, with that money, he can replace the screw in his elbow with one made of solid gold.

[JimLeavy59]

People in Milwaukee thinks this puts the Brewers on par with the Pirates and Cardinals. Not sure who is more delusional the Brewers fanbase or Herb Kohl.

[Villain]

That's not an insane amount of money and it didn't involve the loss of a draft pick.

Not the worst deal ever. It's only 4 years so if he's healthy, then he's going to be trade-able in the future.

[Guest]

Those thrifty Brewers were able to bring the contract down to $50 million over four years.