Duda alone would not get a deal done as it would take at least one more player – probably someone with even better prospect status, as Duda himself failed to rank in Kevin Goldstein’s top 11 list this past winter. For that reason, the Mets may have little to no interest in Garza as it is, but their depth makes them an interesting candidate for a trade. Even if nothing comes from it.
Wait, really? A deal for Matt Garza centered around Lucas Duda? Do it. Do it.
Look: I like Duda as much as anyone; it really seems like something clicked for him this year and he blossomed into a legit power-hitting prospect. But he’ll be 25 on Opening Day, he has only one year of Minor League excellence on his resume, and he’s not much of a defender.
Garza is 27, under team control through arbitration through 2013, and has pitched well and stayed healthy in baseball’s toughest division since 2008.
I imagine it would take a good deal more than Duda to net Garza in a trade. But the Process Report is a sabermetrically inclined Rays blog, not a bunch of delusional Mets fans proposing senseless deals on talk radio. And their main point here is a good one — the Mets have a lot of young depth at the corners and need pitching, the Rays have pitching to trade and need someone to replace Carlos Pena.
Since Garza would likely help the Mets both in 2011 and down the road, dealing for him would not represent the type of imprudent spending I advised against here. If the cost in prospects is reasonable, acquiring Garza would mean taking advantage of a rare opportunity to grab a reliable and cost-controlled starting pitcher, albeit one with a disgusting chin beard.
Tedquarters 
If this is even dimly possible, the Mets FO should do everything in their power to make it happen!! Lucas Duda–if he wildly exceeds all expectations and reaches his reach ceiling–is at best the next Adam Dunn, i.e. a true power threat but a one-skill player who actively hurts his team with his glove. The truth is, Duda will likely not even reach Dunnian heights. Garza is young and a legit #2 arm–this would be a great trade.
It should probably be noted that Adam Dunn was BA’s #33 prospect overall in 2001 (9 spots higher than Albert Pujols, fwiw), and had been the #56 prospect the year before. He was 21 in ’01 when he made his debut.
Duda is a 25 year old who isn’t even in the top 11 of his own system, and the Mets system is at best middle of the pack. The chances that Duda is ever anywhere near as good as Dunn are extraordinarily low.
I would make a trade centered around Duda for Garza in a heartbeat, though I guess it depends on who the other prospect they’d have to include would be. I think I’d probably say yes to trading Captain Kirk or even Fernando, though I’d be sad to see them go.