Conflicting Reports Surround Jaime Garcia Trade by Braves to Twins

The Minnesota Twins possibly acquired starting pitcher Jaime Garcia from the Atlanta Braves, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reported Thursday.

FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman confirmed Garcia is on the move. According to Bollinger, Atlanta will receive a minor league player in a one-for-one swap. However, on Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported no deal was done yet, although he noted both sides were still in discussions.

Garcia has made 17 starts for the Braves in 2017, going 3-7 with a 4.33 ERA. His 1.1 WAR is second among Braves pitchers behind closer Jim Johnson, per FanGraphs.

The Twins haven't reached the playoffs since 2010 and entered Thursday a half-game back in both the American League Central and AL wild-card race.

The fact Minnesota signed Bartolo Colon, who had allowed 57 earned runs in 63 innings with the Braves, illustrated the team's desperation to bolster its starting rotation. The Twins' starting pitchers rank 24th in ERA (4.91) and 27th in FIP (5.17), according to FanGraphs.

As ESPN's Buster Olney argued, this trade represents an improvement for the Twins without the team going overboard:

The Braves, meanwhile, got something in return for a starting pitcher who was in the final year of his contract and whom Atlanta was unlikely to re-sign.

Garcia was scheduled to start Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. SB Nation's Chris Cotillo speculated Aaron Blair will likely get the nod instead after the team pulled him from his Triple-A start Thursday night.

The fact it's Garcia's turn in the rotation could allow him to make an immediate impact for Minnesota this weekend.