The Yankees have signed Freddy Garcia to a one-year deal, the club announced today. Garcia, a Peter E. Greenberg & Associates client, will obtain a guarantee of $4MM plus incentives.
Garcia, 35, signed a minor league deal in February and delivered a surprisingly strong 3.62 ERA in 146 2/3 innings. The 13-year veteran posted 5.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 36.4% ground ball rate for the Yankees, spending part of August on the disabled list with an index finger injury.
Though the Yankees have locked up C.C. Sabathia, their search for starting pitching continues. Sabathia and Garcia will join A.J. Burnett, Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes in the team's projected 2012 rotation.
David Waldstein of the New York Times tweeted the sides were nearing agreement on November 23. ESPN.com's Buster Olney was the first to report the two sides had agreed to terms on November 24, with Jon Heyman of MLB Network (on Twitter) adding the contract details.
He won’t put up the same good numbers this season, book it.
Wow, the Yankees should hire you as a scout and GM.
It’s already a joke that a team of their caliber, with the highest payroll in the game, resorts to signing Garcia.
Someone in here said, this time last year, “If Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are in the Yankees’ starting rotation on opening day, I’ll like the chances for the rest of the division.”
…I’m not suggestion that was *you* who said that, of course; the question is, would I even have to?
A-Rod + Texiera + Burnett + Sabathia + Jeter make up about half the team’s payroll. Add Rivera in there and it’s more than half.
Just because they have the highest payroll doesn’t mean you can get the best players with it. Ever hear of this thing called bad contracts, something the Yankees have a couple of as well as almost every other team with a reasonable payroll.
The White Sox had a $130 million payroll, the highest in the AL Central, and they couldn’t even reach .500. The Twins increased their payroll in 2011 and went from first to worst.
He’s our 5th starter. I would gladly take an ERA in the low 4’s from Garcia.
That’s not saying much, since he should be their #3 ahead of Burnett and Hughes
Got them to the playoffs and best record in the AL last year did it not? Even if Garcia doesn’t have as good a year as he had last year, it’s not something that’s going to deeply effect the team.
They had struggling with pitching the entire 2nd half from every pitcher but Nova. CC, AJ and Colon all struggled in late August through September. Hughes was inconsistent. Garcia was injured but pitched okay.
Again, I don’t think Garcia will make the difference in the end. His WAR was 3.4. Take it away and the Yankees still are the best team in the East.
Ok lets book it.
If Lackey and Burnett can have double figure wins with 5 plus ERAs then Freddy should be Ok. He’s also got enough offense and bullpen behind him.
I would settle for 10 wins with a 4 plus.
/facepalm
Amazing deal, if you think about it.
Exactly. Chen, Capuano and Harang got 2 years. None of them are that much better. This is a bargain.
he was way better than expected , we’ll see about 2012
just thinking out loud but if their rotation is already filled…maybe Cashman was being sincere about not bidding on DarvisH? CC/Garcia/Burnett/Hughes/Nova
Nova No.5? Your kidding, right?
If nothing else, Freddy Garcia looks like The Rock, which makes him awesome.