Mariotti: Garland deal makes no sense

“And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?”

For that reason, you never, ever trade Jon Garland to the Angels for a 33-year-old, lame-duck shortstop. Yes, I realize Orlando Cabrera was a Gold Glover who hit a career-high .301 last season and had a 63-game on-base streak the year before. Yes, I know he won a World Series ring in Boston and has an association with Ozzie Guillen dating to their Montreal days. And yes, I know Garland pitched like a disillusioned soul during the second half and reeked like fireweed. But Cabrera is getting old—older than we think if his I.D. is fake—and there’s a chance he’ll decline in the final season of his contract. If you’re relinquishing a rubber-armed asset like Garland, who just turned 28 and won 18 games in consecutive seasons, you don’t settle for one veteran regular in return. You should be receiving a package.