Cubs trade Garza for Olt, Edwards

The Cubs added another potent bat to their Minor League system Monday when the team traded veteran right-hander Matt Garza to Texas for top Rangers prospect Mike Olt, Texas starter Justin Grimm, Class A righty-hander C.J. Edwards and one or two players to be named later.

Olt, MLB.com's No. 19 prospect, was batting .219 with 12 homers and 34 RBIs in 65 games this season, mostly at third base with Triple-A Round Rock. Oddly enough, his last game in the Rangers system came Sunday against the Iowa Cubs, Chicago's Triple-A affiliate to which he is likely headed.

According to MLB.com, the Cubs will have their choice of trade candidates for the players to be named.

Olt joins a Cubs organization that already includes offensive prospects such as Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler and 2013 first-round pick Kris Bryant. Last season, the 2010 first-rounder hit .288 with 28 homers and 82 RBIs at Double-A Frisco while also appearing in 16 Major League games with Texas, where he batted .152 with five RBIs.

The price was steep for Garza, who went 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts for the Cubs. The righty could become a free agent after this season, and if he leaves for another organization, the Rangers would not receive compensation.

Edwards, a 21-year-old right-hander, was 8-2 with a 1.83 ERA in 18 starts for Class A Hickory. He's struck out 122 batters in 93 1/3 innings, with no homers and one complete game. The former Mid-Carolina (Prosperity, S.C.) High School pitcher was the Rangers' 48th-round pick in the 2011 Draft and went 5-3 with a 1.48 ERA in 14 games at two levels last season.

Grimm, 24, began the season with Round Rock and made one start April 5 before joining Texas, where he's 7-7 with a 6.37 ERA in 17 starts for the Rangers. He was Texas' fifth-round pick in the 2010 Draft and appeared in five Major League games last season while splitting most of the year bewteen Frisco and Round Rock.

Garza is expected to pitch for Texas on Wednesday against the Yankees with Derek Holland getting bumped to Thursday.