Cubs in holding pattern with Garza

There’s little doubt the Cubs are going to trade pitcher Matt Garza.

The Texas Rangers represent the most likely destination, based on reports Friday. But the day also was full of tweets about Garza doing his running at Coors Field as a member of the Cubs. It was also full of unfounded reports of players being held out of minor-league games for the Rangers.

As the evening wore on, Garza was still a Cub amid reports the Cubs and Rangers had exchanged medical information as the last step in getting a deal done. There were other reports that a deal had hit a snag and that other teams are involved in wanting Garza.

“When it rings, it’ll be real,” Garza told reporters in Denver before the Cubs played the Rockies. “Right now, it is what it is, and you just keep going about your business.”

Garza is supposed to start for the Cubs Monday in Arizona. He is the most sought-after pitcher on the market, what with his 6-1 record and 3.17 ERA since he came off the disabled list May 21 to begin the season

Garza also went on the DL last July with a stress reaction in his right elbow before the Cubs could deal him, also possibly to Texas.

“Last year, they told me something could happen,” Garza told the media. “The year before that, something could and did happen (the Cubs got him from Tampa Bay). Year before that, it was something that could happen. So my past has been a lot of ‘coulds.’”

The Cubs are rumored to be getting pitching prospect Neil Ramirez for Garza. There was a false alarm late in the afternoon when it was reported that Ramirez was scratched from his scheduled start for Class AA Frisco. That was not the case. Ramirez started Friday night’s game. He entered with a record of 9-3, an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.08. Ramirez is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander.

Another name mentioned has been third baseman Mike Olt, who entered Friday with a hitting line of .208/.311/.394 with 9 homers at Class AAA Round Rock.