Matt Garza is Pissed

At the conclusion of the Kevin Slowey tidbit a couple days ago, I mentioned that Matt Garza may be a candidate for a mid-season call up to the Twins to help bolster the starting rotation. He's right on the threshold of prospectdom; he threw exactly 50 innings in 9 starts last year after going 18-8, 2.56 in two minor league years spanning all five levels. He was the Twins top prospect heading into 2007, according to Baseball America.

But now, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garza is upset with the way the Twins have handled his development. Specifically, he's pissed at the off-speed quota they have imposed upon him this year in Triple-A.

"I know I can throw my off-speed pitches for strikes. It's just that I was pressing because I was trying to make them happy, and I can't be that guy anymore. ... I told my pitching coach, and I hope he relayed the message (to general manager Terry Ryan and director of minor leagues Jim Rantz), I said, 'I can't do it, man. I've been scratching my head and not sleeping well at night because I'm trying to be something I'm not.' "

My initial reaction: deal with it. The point of the minor leagues for a pitcher is to refine less-than-adequate secondary offerings. If Garza is displeased with the fact that his ERA is an undesirable 3.49, he should take solace in the fact that the Twins are being patient and encouraging him to develop the tools necessary to be a big league pitcher. His high-90s fastball is great and all, but without two dependable off speed pitches, he's a glorified setup man. Rushing pitchers who are short on secondary pitches can seriously stunt their development. Exhibit A: Garza's 5.76 major league ERA last season.


As a Tigers' fan with an unhealthy love for Jeremy Bonderman, I've maintained since 2003 that his abrupt call-up from A-ball stunted his development of the changeup he needs to be a Cy Young pitcher. Terry Ryan and his staff have been masterful at developing their minor league talent over the past decade; it seems to me that Matt Garza should realize that what is in the Twins' interest is also in his own. I think Kevin Slowey just cemented himself as the first Minnesota farmhand to get the call to the bigs.