Thursday was Matt Garza Day for the Cubs. Early in the day, the team medically cleared the highest-paid pitcher on the staff to start a ``normal’’ offseason throwing program following a scheduled scan on the inflamed elbow that sidelined him since July. Later, team announced the signing of backup catcher Dioner Navarro to a one-year contract ($1.75 million) – Garza’s catcher in Tampa Bay for three seasons that included a World Series and a 15-win season. It also included a publicized dustup between the pair in 2008 that started with an argument on the mound and included another confrontation in the dugout caught on camera. It was a moment in the young pitcher’s career that Garza said ``embarrassed’ ’ him, angered his manager, Joe Maddon, and led to temper-management counseling that coincided with a career turnaround. Garza, who’s arbitration eligible and under club control through next season, was shut down from throwing since being diagnosed with a ``stress reaction’’ in the elbow with two months left in the season. Upon being cleared to start getting ready for spring training, he tweeted Thursday: ``I’m cleared for takeoff!! Strap it on tight cause we are going on one helluva ride. …’’ He finished the tweet with three hash-tagged words: ``getitdone,’’ ``freedom,’’ ``2013.’’ --

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