Longtime thorn in the side of Red Sox Nation, Matt Garza, is on his way out of the American League East.

The Rays agreed to terms to trade the righty to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for prospects, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.

The centerpiece of the proposed deal, pending physicals, centers around the Cubs’ 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year award-winner, Chris Archer. The right-handed Archer, 21, is coming off a season where he combined to go 15-3 with a 2.34 ERA in 28 games between Single-A Daytona and Tennessee.

The deal also sends outfielder Brandon Guyer, catcher Robinson Chirinos, shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and outfielder Sam Fuld to the Rays. The Cubs are receiving a minor league pitcher and a minor league outfielder in return from the Rays, according to ESPN.com’s Bruce Levine.

In Garza, the Cubs get a 27-year-old coming off his best season as a pro, where he compiled a record of 15-10 while averaging 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Garza partially put to bed his reputation as a player who pitched to the level of his competition, becoming much more consistent for the Rays in 2010.

Pitching in the NL Central will only improve those numbers.

“The general perception of proposed Cubs-Garza deal from rival evaluators: Cubs give up a lot of volume, but no real can’t-miss star prospect,” Olney tweeted.