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.