Matt Garza, Cubs Now Talking Contract Extension?

Just a few days ago, following the trade of Scott Feldman, it seemed as if Matt Garza would be the next Cubs starting pitcher to be traded, perhaps not long after he makes his next start Monday night in the makeup game against the White Sox.

Not so fast, writes CBS Sports' Jon Heyman:

In what could be a dramatic turnaround, the Cubs are now considering keeping righthanded starter Matt Garza on the North Side of Chicago.

Cubs officials recently have broached such a possibility, and while a trade still remains an option for Garza, for the first time in more than a year there are discussions about possibly signing Garza long-term. It had been presumed for weeks he would be traded for sure.

The Cubs could also trade Garza, then try to re-engage him in the winter, another distinct possibility.

Personally, I'm not buying this. There have been recent reports that there was no traction to any attempts to extend Garza, going back as far as the 2011-12 offseason. And suddenly, now, 23 days before the deadline, the team's thinking about extending him?

What might be happening here is that the Cubs have offered Garza around and haven't been happy with what they've been offered in return, so they're floating this out -- to a national writer who they know everyone reads -- to try to gauge the market. It's clear that Garza is at peak value right now, having had four excellent starts in a row, and there are teams desperate for starting pitching. The Cubs figure they should be getting good offers, and they may not be getting such offers.

Trading him and then re-signing him? Well... I guess that could happen, but that's a pretty rare event. Anyway, I thought you'd all like to weigh in on this, so have at it. And remember, Garza will be pitching in only a few hours.