Brewers 2016: Matt Garza

At Brewers on Deck this past Sunday Matt Garza indicated that this year he is pitching only for himself, and I believe him. I also believe two other things 1. He’s going to be better than last year, he may even show flashes of why the Brewers signed him to a long term deal. 2. His selfishness is going to be beneficial for him and the Brewers. After a weird ending to the season last year (being pulled from the rotation and going home to his wife), I only say that’s weird because of how he handled the media’s questions, Garza appears to be a man on a mission.

FanGraphs projects  Matt Garza to have a 4.47 ERA over 163 IP with a 4.45 FIP and 1.4 WAR. While PECOTA has him for 4.36 over 131 IP. Given how horrendous last year was, 5.36 ERA after eight years of being in the mid 3’s, and how much the Brewers are paying him, it’s a do or die year for Matt Garza. Really, it’s if Garza wants to stay in the rotation he has to show last year was a fluke. If he does that and we see the Garza of old, the Brewers starting rotation will be much improved and the sting of rebuilding won’t hurt as much.

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As well if Garza does that, there are several teams in need of a 3^rd or 4^th pitching man, I could easily see Matt Garza showing that last year was a fluke and being shipped off to Miami or Atlanta before the All-Star break for a pair of prospects. I honestly wouldn’t hold it pass Stearns to ship off any veteran at this point.

After all that is the whole point of a rebuild, clean slate-start anew, get that WS Ring. Even if Matt Garza is never traded but goes back to the mid 3s, he provides a solid starter in the rotation that the Brewers need and maybe just maybe he could provide himself as a mentor to the up and coming guys.