Well, it's official, the Cubs get Garza for a boatload of prospects. Sad day. Now, we've lost out on him and Greinke. Do you guys think we could pick up any of the starters from the Cubs? If so, who? Don't we need to also being going after a CF, if we're not going to use Josh or Murph there and Borbon is mediocre?

I don't know much about those prospects but I'm sure we will hear more about them in the next few days. This is where I would love to see what Parks has to say about these guys and how we could have matched or beaten this deal. Missing out on Garza is rough, but as competitive as the NL central is now, it isn't hard to imagine STL, MIL, or CHC looking to dump a pitcher at the trade deadline. We may get another shot at Greinke or Garza. And I think we have several attractive options in CF so I don't see it as a need.

Oh how I wish Byrd-man was still roaming our CF...

And no, the Cubs do not have a single SP I would trade for (except for Garza). Dempster would be a decent back of the rotation starter in the AL but nothing to really bolster your rotation. Same thing with Zambrano. The only guy they're looking to move is Gorzelanny and no thank you.

As a part-time Cubs fan (father's from Chicago, grew up watching them on WGN, went to school in Chicago and lived blocks from Wrigley) I think Garza is a great fit for that team -- something they really needed. They gave up quite a bit to get him, but it was a move that needed to be done. Garza, Dempster, Zambrano Wells, Silva is a decent rotation for the them. Certainly nothing compared to Philly... Problem is St. Louis, Cincinnati and Milwaukee are all better right now than the Cubs.

Looks like a pretty mediocre trade...as much as I didn't want to trade for him, those prospects the Rays got probably aren't even good enough to be our #3 or #4 rated prospect...and the others are perrenial minor leaguers with little to no upside. I'm shocked...

Peter Gammons on Twitter:

Rays had 2 deals. Texas had more 2011 impact, but Cubs higher longterm ceiling.

Interesting FullerTron...
The Cubs did give up quite a haul... it would be interesting to know what the Rangers were offering.
I really wish the Rangers could have landed Garza. I think CJ, Lewis and Garza would have been a nice 1-3 (not saying in that order).

The Cubs deal (to me) would have been similar to the Rangers offering: Perez, Beltre, Profar, Borbon and Davis. Perez probably is a better prospect than Archer but Chirinos is probably better than Davis. Borbon and Fuld are I guess similar and Lee is a bit more developed that Profar, and Beltre and Guyer seem about similar to me. But I'll admit my prospect knowledge for both teams is novice at best -- but this is my best assessment.

Info from ESPN article on prospects:

The deal, which has been agreed to pending physicals, sends right-handed pitcher Chris Archer, outfielder Brandon Guyer, catcher Robinson Chirinos, shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and outfielder Sam Fuld to Tampa for Garza, minor league outfielder Fernando Perez and another minor leaguer.

Archer, 22, combined to go 15-3 with 2.34 in 28 games between Single-A Daytona and Tennessee, and was the Cubs' 2010 minor league pitcher of the year. Archer was acquired by the Cubs in a trade that sent popular utility man Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians.

Guyer batted .344 with 13 home runs and 58 RBIs for Double-A Tennessee in 2010. The 24-year old was the Cubs' minor league player of the year.

Lee batted .282 and stole 32 bases for Single-A Peoria.

Fuld played in 98 games for the Cubs between 2007-10. He batted .299 in 65 games in '09.

And when I say "similar" in terms of prospects I meant in terms of upside and potential, not current status and development.