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« Barry Bonds Refuses To Retire | Main | Odds & Ends: Glavine, Thorman, Sheffield »
Mets Release Freddy Garcia
10:54am: According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets released Garcia today. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post talked to Garcia's agent Ed Greenberg, who says his client is "way too young to retire" at age 32. Greenberg was surprised by the Mets' move, and blames cold weather for Garcia's rough start.
9:25am: Things aren't going well for Freddy Garcia in Triple A. Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports:
Garcia has an 8.18 earned run average and has lost both his starts for the Herd. He threw 80 pitches Monday, 54 for strikes. He twice hit 85 mph and had a few other pitches in the low 80s. He was mostly in the mid-70s and was throwing offspeed stuff in the mid-60s.
I imagine a good chunk of the MLBTR audience can throw in the mid-70s. Garcia isn't healthy, and sounds like he's considering retirement:
"I want to do the best things I can the next couple days. I want to feel better. Hopefully it will work out for me but I don't know. I'm working really hard to try to get right but my shoulder doesn't respond. I'm going to try my best. If not, I guess I'll go home. I don't know. That's it, man."
Garcia sports a 4.07 ERA in 1716.6 career innings, with 118 wins for the Mariners, White Sox, Phillies, and Tigers. He also won six postseason games for the Mariners and White Sox.
The Mets' rotation currently ranks 14th in the NL with a 5.35 ERA in 104.3 innings. They've got question marks behind Johan Santana, but at least John Maine looked good yesterday. How about Tim Redding? He's close to returning from a rotator cuff strain, after one Triple A rehab start this week.
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Mid-70's? An average high school player can sit at that. I feel bad for the poor guy, I know this is killing his pride.
Posted by: Calriver | April 28, 2009 at 09:31 AM
CBS Sports says he'll make a AAA start next week and he'll be activated in about 10 days.
Posted by: PWHjort | April 28, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Tim Redding, that is.
Posted by: PWHjort | April 28, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Most athletic people ages 19-25 can throw 85 MPH with proper mechanics.
Posted by: PWHjort | April 28, 2009 at 09:34 AM
Niese doesn't seem to be doing too well either (albeit in a small sample size). If Perez struggles (which i don't think he will against Florida and the Phils) wonder if they'll bring up a Figueroa type or something.
Pedro's still out there nrmax88. Its amazing that they can't get that done.
Posted by: philsWSchamps | April 28, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Someone should explain to these players that you "retire" when your old. Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux, Craig Biggio, these guys are what I would consider to be retired, players that people cared about alot to actually care that they were leaving the game. I dont like how this word is thrown around, because technically im retired from the MLB too
Posted by: 04Forever | April 28, 2009 at 09:49 AM
That's too bad.....Freddy's always been a guy that would take the ball.....won some big games for the sox and mariners
Posted by: gosox33 | April 28, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Thats really too bad, Garcia isnt old and he clearly still has a love for the game.
But the body cant always do what the mind wants. He has done well for himself financially and also with baseball accolades, stats, titles and what not. He can retire knowing that he had a great career and that he didnt give up because he wanted to but because his body forced him to. No one will blame him for that.
Posted by: xethicx | April 28, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Just in from Rotoworld...
"Mets released RHP Freddy Garcia.
Garcia was 0-2 with a 8.18 ERA in two starts for Triple-A Buffalo and hinted Monday that he may soon retire. Well, it seems he's now changed his mind on that front. "Freddy is way too young to retire," his agent Ed Greenberg said Tuesday morning, upon hearing the news. His fastball barely reached into the high 80s in the month of April, so he may have a tough time getting a shot elsewhere."
Posted by: jimmywallaby | April 28, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Too bad for Freddy.. Hopefully he will get a gig somewhere. Sitting out for the rest of the year and strengthening his shoulder could help.
Posted by: GoTribe | April 28, 2009 at 10:51 AM
"He twice hit 85 mph and had a few other pitches in the low 80s. He was mostly in the mid-70s and was throwing offspeed stuff in the mid-60s."
Just to throw this out there, but how exactly does a pitcher whose fastball is sitting in the mid-70s manage to hit 85 a couple times?
So you're saying that Garcia can still rear back and add 7-9 MPH to his fastball, but he'll stay in the 74-77 range instead?
If this is where Garcia's stuff is at, then he's done.
Posted by: scribbletone | April 28, 2009 at 11:06 AM
"The Mets' rotation currently ranks 14th in the NL with a 5.35 ERA in 104.3 innings"
What is it without Perez's starts?
Posted by: icedrake523 | April 28, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Strange. Baseball reference has the Mets rotation ERA as 4.35, not 5.35
Posted by: CitizenSnips | April 28, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Coop'll fix'em
Posted by: SoxLug | April 28, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Wait I'm dumb. I forgot that factored in the bullpen. I'm just not used to having competent relief pitching, heh.
Posted by: CitizenSnips | April 28, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Freddy is always welcome to play on my 18&over hardball team.
Posted by: gosox33 | April 28, 2009 at 11:46 AM
"The Mets' rotation currently ranks 14th in the NL with a 5.35 ERA in 104.3 innings"
What is it without Perez's starts?"
What about without Santana?
Posted by: B3NG4L | April 28, 2009 at 12:38 PM
I would venture to say that 95% of MLBTR readers have never even seen an 85 mph pitch from a pitcher and that less than 10% have even come close to throwing that fast. But do believe that 100% of them think they did throw that fast
Posted by: rfro | April 28, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Someone should explain to these players that you "retire" when your old. Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux, Craig Biggio, these guys are what I would consider to be retired, players that people cared about alot to actually care that they were leaving the game. I dont like how this word is thrown around, because technically im retired from the MLB too
Posted by: 04Forever | April 28, 2009 at 09:49 AM
Dumbest comment ever. Look up the word retire in the dictionary pal. If you want to talk technical, you're only retired from the MLB if you played in the MLB. Sheesh.
Posted by: MDWhiteSoxFan | April 28, 2009 at 12:59 PM
How about using FIP?
Santana: 1.53 FIP in 26 innings
Perez: 5.84 FIP in 19 innings
Pelfrey: 6.65 FIP in 15 innings.
Maine: 4.82 FIP in 21 innings.
Livan: 6.33 FIP in 16 innings.
That comes out to a 4.67 FIP over 97 innings.
And if you want to add Figueroa's start, then you come out to a 4.74 FIP over 103 innings.
The rotation has received some bad luck, but they're just pitching poorly, plain and simple.
And Johan can't maintain anything close to this either, he's been flatout dominant thus far.
Posted by: scribbletone | April 28, 2009 at 01:05 PM
"Most athletic people ages 19-25 can throw 85 MPH with proper mechanics."
That's patently absurd.
Posted by: Land-Man | April 28, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Here's John Perrotto's (Baseball Prospectus) take on the likelihood of the Met's trading for another good arm:
DKANDREWS1 (DC): Do the Mets have a good enough farm system to go trade for a #1 or #2 pitcher at the deadline? Their best prospect is ranked #50 or close to it.
John Perrotto: It's doubtful unless they found a team really desperate to offload a salary. It's going to be tough for them to make a big trade.
Posted by: DKA | April 28, 2009 at 01:11 PM
The Mets can probably land a TOR pitcher if they are willing to unload their farm system. They have the pieces, it would be a matter of whether they are willing to give them up. Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Ryan Church, Dillon Gee, Jefry Marte, Wilmer Flores, Jenry Mejia, Reese Havens, Brad Holt, I'm sure a package of these kinds of names would entice some teams. John Perrotto has been saying the Mets don't have enough pieces to pick up any arms, that was before they got Johan and Putz. I heard it from him for months before the Johan deal. The Cubs don't have a top farm system either, but that doesn't mean they can't make a deal for Jake Peavy, if they are willing to gut the farm.
Posted by: nrmax88 | April 28, 2009 at 03:09 PM
i cant believe i'm saying this. but i cant wait for tim redding to join the rotation...
Posted by: maristmetsfan | April 28, 2009 at 04:04 PM
nrmax88-
I think the big difference is that the only way that the Mets land a top of the rotation starter is if they rape their farm system, and at that point its questionable if the trade is even remotely beneficial.
As great as it would be to land Peavy or Halladay, as a Met fan, would you be willing to give up a package that includes 5-6 of Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy, Jefry Marte, Jennry Meija, Bobby Parnell, Reese Havens and Brad Holt?
I'm just saying that essentially, you would have to choose between having an additional ace and a farm system like Houston's, or stand pat, and which one is really better for New York?
Posted by: scribbletone | April 28, 2009 at 04:52 PM
I hated the idea of Redding, Garcia and Livan. And now, the situation is even worse because everyone not named Santana is off to a rocky start. Imagine any one of their starters going down, who gets brought up? I'm not sure if they can land an ace with their current farm but I've been suprised by them before...
This is what happens when people starting believing that anyone can be a fifth starter. Yeah, that's true for teams that aren't contending. Now, they're basically stuck with Livan, who actually throws the slowest of the three... He might be good against free swinging teams like the Marlins but against anyone else, I don't think so.
Posted by: strikethree | April 28, 2009 at 07:00 PM
I wonder if the Mets would be willing to move David Wright for the right pitcher. I would definitely be willing to listen.
Posted by: nrmax88 | April 29, 2009 at 03:29 PM
"Most athletic people ages 19-25 can throw 85 MPH with proper mechanics."
Wrong. Wow.
Posted by: Melkor | April 29, 2009 at 10:03 PM
""Most athletic people ages 19-25 can throw 85 MPH with proper mechanics."
Wrong. Wow."
Agreed. Maybe 70-75 MPH, but not 85. Only people I know personally that are touching 85 are my buddies who pitched D1 college ball.
Posted by: Brando | May 01, 2009 at 02:24 PM