Garza done starting for the season

[EauClaireNWL]

I might have felt a little bad for him had he not been barely above Lohse in the suck department this year. I can understand his frustration, but this team is 100% in rebuild mode now. If they need to use September to kick the tires on some younger guys, I'm all for it. You're still going to get your paychecks regardless, and down year or no, you only have yourself to blame for not hitting your contract escalators given the team threw you out there every 5th day when you were healthy until the last month of the season.

 

I guess I'm not completely down on him yet. I'm fine with him taking the off-season to maybe get back to some basics and come back next Spring fresh and compete for a starting rotation job. Given how bad he's been this year, we'd probably get a low A-ball prospect or two in return for him at best and would still probably have to eat the bulk of his contract. I'd rather see him go through a few more steps or potential move to the bullpen next year before completely selling low because we're going to be on the hook for the bulk of that $25 million regardless of what the team does. Unless he has a complete revival next year.

[gregmag]

I've always disliked him personally, so this doesn't surprise me. Fine him for every day he refuses to do his job, which is whatever the hell his manager tells him to do. Whining prima donna has-been punk.

[splitterpfj]

I believe the Brewers when they say they want to look at some young pitchers, but don't think for one second that they aren't looking at that vesting option. There's no reason to let that kick in, I would consider sitting him right now to be part of the rebuild ... he's gone for less cash in the end.

 

Honestly, I don't blame Matt for being angry, but as others have said, he just hasn't pitched well this year. He should have accepted the chance to pitch from the pen, and gone from there.

[502 to Right]

How are the Brewers being ridiculous by removing one of the worst starters in baseball out of the rotation?

 

At this point, dealing him for some A-level prospects with a ceiling would not be a bad idea. Same for K-Rod.

 

No team would trade a used jock strap for Matt Garza. He doesn't have zero value he has negative value.

 

He might have value in 2016 if he can become an effective pitcher again, but his 2015 is complete washout.

[InProblematique]

His [very public] reaction to this move was absolutely unacceptable. He has an ERA near 6.00, he's been injured constantly since he put on a Brewers uniform, and he has been given as many chances as anyone. His reaction was that of a player who feels overly-secure and self-entitled. It's kind of amazing that he even made it this long in the starting rotation before being shut down or moved to the pen.

 

Further, the fact that he apparently turned down the offer to pitch out of the bullpen is even more dismaying. He obviously believes he's above playing out of the bullpen and would rather sit on his ass and be a spoiled brat than try to get some pitches in before the end of the season.

 

In my mind, that is unacceptable.

 

I hope the Brewers can find a way to trade him this offseason. I don't really care for what. A PTBNL or a bag of sunflower seeds with us paying most of his remaining $25 million. I want him gone.

 

I'm glad the Crew has made the decision to take an extended look at the young guys. We have some solid talent in the farm now, and no need to win any games. Let's figure out what our rotation will look like in the coming years.

 

I liked Garza and was supportive of the signing, but his juvenile reaction has completely turned me off of him. Just ridiculous.

[joepepsi]

It's situations like this that makes everyone hate unions.

 

Ummmm, I'm not sure this is the place for a political statement like that...

 

Those could surely be fighting words...

 

Why the hate on unions? He got a great contract, agreed to the terms, as did the Brewers. The Brewers are just claiming their legal rights to the contract. Garza may not like it, but this is the deal he signed. It has nothing to do with being part of a union. Playing that card isn't warranted.

[DHonks]

It's situations like this that makes everyone hate unions.

 

 

very inappropriate comment there. No article mentioned anything about MLBPA, yet you chose to make it personal and political.

[folly412]

So Garza said he hasn't seen a veteran lose his rotation spot for having a rough year. Isn't that Lohse on the mound right now.

 

Yep, and lack of financial incentives or not, haven't heard a peep out of Lohse as half the farm gets called up to make starts and he's still pitching out his contract with the most meaningless innings. At least some guys can remain professional.

[InProblematique]

So Garza said he hasn't seen a veteran lose his rotation spot for having a rough year. Isn't that Lohse on the mound right now.

 

Yep, and lack of financial incentives or not, haven't heard a peep out of Lohse as half the farm gets called up to make starts and he's still pitching out his contract with the most meaningless innings. At least some guys can remain professional.

Yes, quite right. Lohse was miserable to watch pitch this year, but at least he took it gracefully and professionally. Lohse obviously won't be back next season, but even though he pitched horribly this year, the way he took his "demotion" will make me think positively in the long-run.

 

Garza will forever be tainted for a lot of fans, I think... unless he comes back and puts together a Cy Young caliber season.

[bork]

"I'm not going to throw another ball, and that's it," Garza said. "If I wasn't a good team guy, I'd just ask to go home. I've got four kids and a wife pregnant with two. I don't know. I haven't made a decision yet. I'll go from there."

 

What does that even mean? You're a good team guy because you're going to stay with the team and sit on the bench and not play? If he's not going to play, he shouldn't be allowed in the ballpark. And if he ever pitches again for the Brewers he should get booed off the field.

[brewmann04]

well at least and he and Loshe will still keep their Robes they got in soring training.

[adambr2]

How is refusing to pitch out of the pen an option for him? He is under contract to play professional baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, is he not?

[brewmann04]

he should have lost his spot a long time ago he lucky they kept throeing him out for this long.

[FVBrewerFan]

How are the Brewers being ridiculous by removing one of the worst starters in baseball out of the rotation?

 

At this point, dealing him for some A-level prospects with a ceiling would not be a bad idea. Same for K-Rod.

 

Yes, because lots of teams would love to give up high ceiling prospects for a horrible starting pitcher locked into a bad contract for two more years.

[wrbest]

He is a great trade chip. 5.60 ERA, 30MIL left on his contract, and a bad attitude. I'm sure the rest of the league is gonna be calling the Brewers about a trade. Maybe they can get a plate of nachos and a hot dog in return.

[1992casey]

How is refusing to pitch out of the pen an option for him? He is under contract to play professional baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, is he not?

I get the impression that the Brewers gave him the option and that he declined an offer to pitch from the bullpen rather than refusing to follow an order. Refusing would cause him to face fine and/or suspension.

[MrTPlush]

How are the Brewers being ridiculous by removing one of the worst starters in baseball out of the rotation?

 

If they are putting him straight back into the rotation next year I just don't see the reason for such a move. Unless of course there are injury concerns. I mean sure they can get a tiny look at other players...but that really won't tell them much. A start or two is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things. I'd be for this move if they were taking away his spot and make him earn it back, but they are basically taking 4-5 starts away and have already named him to the 2016 rotation. Really confusing if you ask me. Makes it sound like they are just trying to avoid paying him more in the future. Which I really don't care about, but the players union will and so will players around the league.

[MrTPlush]

So Garza said he hasn't seen a veteran lose his rotation spot for having a rough year. Isn't that Lohse on the mound right now.

 

Lohse isn't under contract for another year so that is not comparable at all. The Brewers can't wait and see if Lohse can turn it around next year...they could hypothetically do that with Garza.

[Thurston Fluff]

How are the Brewers being ridiculous by removing one of the worst starters in baseball out of the rotation?

 

If they are putting him straight back into the rotation next year I just don't see the reason for such a move. Unless of course there are injury concerns. I mean sure they can get a tiny look at other players...but that really won't tell them much. A start or two is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things. I'd be for this move if they were taking away his spot and make him earn it back, but they are basically taking 4-5 starts away and have already named him to the 2016 rotation. Really confusing if you ask me. Makes it sound like they are just trying to avoid paying him more in the future. Which I really don't care about, but the players union will and so will players around the league.

 

Pretty much everyone knows why they are doing this. It's to reduce the damage done by a bad contract. If he was playing well and the team sat him simply because they didn't want to pay him when they were rebuilding other players would justifiably have a problem with that. That isn't the case here. He just sucks. It will have no more effect on Brewer/player relations than sending Hardy down to AAA to get an extra year of control. In both cases the action was justified by the production. You just can't be bad and get sympathy in pro sports.

[MNBrew]

How are the Brewers being ridiculous by removing one of the worst starters in baseball out of the rotation?

 

If they are putting him straight back into the rotation next year I just don't see the reason for such a move. Unless of course there are injury concerns. I mean sure they can get a tiny look at other players...but that really won't tell them much. A start or two is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things. I'd be for this move if they were taking away his spot and make him earn it back, but they are basically taking 4-5 starts away and have already named him to the 2016 rotation. Really confusing if you ask me. Makes it sound like they are just trying to avoid paying him more in the future. Which I really don't care about, but the players union will and so will players around the league.

They've said he's healthy and the reason is obvious why and it has nothing to do with the fact that they're putting him back in the 2016 rotation (or else they wouldn't have said that directly in other quotes within the story (brewers.com & jsonline.com). Cue Doug Melvin (quote source: article on brewers.com):

 

"Then, the other part of it is, if you're not doing well, sometimes there [are] consequences. We did send Scooter Gennett out when he wasn't doing well. We took Kyle out of the rotation when he was not doing well. To put that in the situation right now is that we have the opportunity to look at other pitchers."

 

[continues McCalvy in writing the article...] In each of Garza's last four starts, he has pitched no more than five innings and surrendered no fewer than four earned runs. In all, he's surrendered 34 hits, 11 walks and 23 earned runs in those outings over 18 innings.

 

.... There it is, as obvious as can be. He's been so terrible with no sign of "getting right," so they're demoting him for now in the only way they can. If anything, Garza should be a little surprised it took this long for them to pull the plug on him in the rotation (and not for the whole season, as it's he who declined the offer to pitch out of the bullpen).

[MNBrew]

One other point: Watch the video clip in the link. Text without tone of voice = an incomplete picture, which is obviously the view many have here based on reactions to the printed text of his words.

 

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/147600788/matt-garza-upset-after-removal-from-rotation

 

When you read the words, you don't get the tone of voice and it's very easy to make assumptions about it. Actually listening to him speak, those things ticking several of you off sound a little bit different. Obviously he doesn't like the situation -- he's a competitor, he has pride (as do we all), and he'd rather keep pitching. But LISTEN to HOW he's speaking. While he may have spouted a little too much for where I'd think "that line" of professionalism should be, he's not raging (even though he's obviously very ticked at Melvin, he also went through proper channels first, using his agent to raise the concerns directly with Melvin). On the contrary, he's resigned to his fate, honestly and straightforwardly, and at the end of it all, for as upset as he is, he still places the blame squarely on himself for pitching lousy.

 

Garza's a fiery guy and this move is a tough blow to anyone who truly cares about their game. Unfortunately for him, the team, and the fans, all the fiery approach in the world -- which we've heard all about since we signed him -- can't hide his horrible results.

[Pugger]

So this should get interesting......I'm sure he has figured out the Brewers are going to make sure that vesting option for 2018 doesn't kick in....

 

@AdamMcCalvy: Garza is absolutely furious about being shut down. Strong words against GM Doug Melvin. Story coming to #Brewers .com.

 

How in the hell can Garza be furious? He had to know his starting spot was tenuous at best after what happened to Lohse. "Hey Matt, you wouldn't be in this predicament had you pitched better when you had the chance!" He gets no sympathy from me.

[Pugger]

His [very public] reaction to this move was absolutely unacceptable. He has an ERA near 6.00, he's been injured constantly since he put on a Brewers uniform, and he has been given as many chances as anyone. His reaction was that of a player who feels overly-secure and self-entitled. It's kind of amazing that he even made it this long in the starting rotation before being shut down or moved to the pen.

 

Further, the fact that he apparently turned down the offer to pitch out of the bullpen is even more dismaying. He obviously believes he's above playing out of the bullpen and would rather sit on his ass and be a spoiled brat than try to get some pitches in before the end of the season.

 

In my mind, that is unacceptable.

 

I hope the Brewers can find a way to trade him this offseason. I don't really care for what. A PTBNL or a bag of sunflower seeds with us paying most of his remaining $25 million. I want him gone.

 

I'm glad the Crew has made the decision to take an extended look at the young guys. We have some solid talent in the farm now, and no need to win any games. Let's figure out what our rotation will look like in the coming years.

 

I liked Garza and was supportive of the signing, but his juvenile reaction has completely turned me off of him. Just ridiculous.

 

Send this brat packing and eat the rest of that contract. Having a guy like that around all your younger players can be cancerous. Like rickh150 said, my respect towards Lohse has risen considerably. He has shown since he got to Milwaukee to be a real leader and good teammate even if his pitching skills are no longer what they once were.

[pacopete4]

He's mad at himself deep down. This gives him an avenue that will express that anger at himself through saying he doesn't agree what the Brewers are doing, Melvin, etc...

[TheCrew07]

This is no different than how the Brewers handled Hardy when Escobar was ready to get an extra year of service time out of him, take an under performing MLB player and tweak the situation to their favor.

 

I don't have any love for Garza or the signing, but this is all about the Brewers trying to save themselves from a vesting option and nothing more. Or put another way, the Brewers doing what they've done best under Melvin by being reactionary.

 

As to Garza's comments he'd be better off saying nothing, in fact both sides would be better off because nothing good can come from discussing this publicly.