Matt Garza, the source of so many trade rumors this past summer, is back on track to get back on the field.  Prior to the trade deadline, Garza was placed on the disabled list, and ultimately any chance of a trade was eliminated.  He tired to pitch in the second half of the season, but he missed most of the rest of the year with a stress reaction in his elbow.  Now, Garza is healthy enough to start up his offseason throwing program.

According to Carrie Muskat, beat writer for the Chicago Cubs on MLB.com, Garza was given the go-ahead to continue his preparation for spring training next season.  Throughout the offseason, most pitchers participate in throwing programs of some sort.  Garza will now be able to resume his program, and the Cubs hope he should be ready for Spring Training.



Garza has been involved in trade rumors for his last two seasons with the Cubs.  It seems he will eventually be dealt before the July 31st trade deadline during the 2013 season.  He is in his final year of team control and can become a free agent after this season.

Garza, 29, has seven MLB seasons under his belt.  He has a career 57-61 record and a 3.84 ERA.  Last season, Garza struggled a bit.  However, he still posted an ERA under 4.00.  Garza started 18 games, went 5-7, and had a 3.91 ERA.

Teams previously had been expressing heavy interest in Garza.  It will be interesting to see how he pitches in his return and how much interest there still is after the injury.
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