The Giants have claimed righty Rico Garcia off waivers from the Rockies, per MLB.com’s William Boor (via Twitter). It’s yet another pitching addition for the always-active San Francisco organization.
Garcia, 26 in January, briefly touched the majors in 2019. He showed only a 90.4 mph average fastball and didn’t get many swings and misses, though it’s awfully hard to read much into a six-inning sample.
It was a bit of an odd season for Garcia, who struggled in the bigs and in a 13-start stint at Triple-A. Before that, though, he was quite successful at the Double-A level, where he spun 68 innings of 1.85 ERA ball with 11.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and a 49.3% groundball rate.
He terribly tips his pitches with his arm action.
So are the Rockies just going to give away everyone with no return? I know he didn’t have a ton of value, but he is the 4th player they have lost on waiver claims since the end of the World Series. That means they have SOME value. These guys may just be “nickel” players, but if you give away all your nickels for free, they start to add up to dollars. Even trading them for 2 or 3 “pennies” is better than that.
I suspect the Rockies know more than you do about players they value more highly and need to protect from the Rule 5 draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. They also took a calculated gamble that they could sneak him through the waiver wire and outright him to the minors without losing him to another team. Other teams are trying to preserve their roster space for additions prior to the Rule 5. But calculated gambles frequently don’t pay off.
Your suspicions are correct. They obviously know more about who THEY value more highly. My problem is not with their sticking to their valuations. My problem is that their valuations make little to no sense and they keep making the same mistakes over and over again with no consequences to the jobs of front office personnel.
I’m an AL guy so I don’t know much about the Rockies. However, some of their recent decisions have been headscratchers, particularly the big bucks for bullpen guys that didn’t work out. Mr. Monfort doesn’t seem to be doing a good job overseeing the staff making the daily decisions. Maybe he should go back to cutting up steer! At least they kept Arenado, right?
I am a long term Rockies fan. Since the expansion draft when they picked up Dante Bichette actually. Monfort’s problem is that he does not like to admit he made a mistake EVER. Loyalty and tenure are thought of as the best possible qualities of baseball guys. That’s why Dan O’Dowd kept his job year after year of failure. Bridich is not a good GM, but he probably has his job until he quits. The Rockies do try, and that is why I will be a fan until I die, but their main problem is painting themselves into a corner over and over again.
Yes, the Rockies are very wise with player evaluations. Still celebrating their playoff appearance?
If Coach would have put me in, we would have been State Champs. No doubt. No doubt in my mind…
surprised they’re giving up on him so soon.
My thoughts exactly. He will do well in San Francisco. That will prove a regrettable move. I also think Sam Howard will prove major league worthy in time.
95 is the new 90.
Suave move.
My thoughts exactly. He will do well in San Francisco. That will prove a regrettable move. I also think Sam Howard will prove major league worthy in time.