Oakland have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with pitcher Rico Garcia, according to A’s broadcaster Jessica Kleinschmidt. The deal comes with an invite to spring training.
Garcia, 28, appeared in six games for the Orioles in 2022, throwing eight innings of 4.50 ERA ball, giving up a pair of home runs and striking out just two batters. In 34 2/3 innings at Triple-A, Garcia had a 2.34 ERA with a 28.4% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate. He throws a 95mph fastball and adds in a changeup and cutter to his arsenal.
Garcia was drafted in the 30th round of the 2016 draft by the Rockies. He made his way up through Colorado’s system, debuting with a handful of innings in 2019. He was plucked off waivers by the Giants that winter and pitched ten innings of 5.40 ERA ball for them in 2020. Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2021 put an end to that campaign and he latched on with the Orioles for 2022 before being granted free agency shortly after the season.
All told, Garcia owns a lifetime 6.38 ERA across 24 innings in the big leagues. Given his solid numbers in the minors, he’ll join the A’s and provide them with some pitching depth heading into the 2023 campaign.
Nice pickup. Looks like he has some solid potential as a middle reliever. Was somewhat surprised the Orioles gave up on him without a more extended look.
I like this signing. Anyone who puts up numbers like that in the hitter friendly AAA league is a solid minor league pick up.
They signed someone! Holy Toledo! Any chance these cheapskates sign anyone to a major league deal? I say no
Wanna bet?
This is what happens with expansion, when the talent is spread so thin that a guy with a career 6.38 ERA is considered promising. And yes, I know the Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland As are not an expansion team.
MLB has not expanded for a quarter of a century.
Last year they only signed Lowrie and Vogt to $1M/1 year deals. Absolutely abhorrent. John Fisher is destroying the game, and needs to be forced to sell or put money into the team, but he’s an absolutely worthless sentient pile of money with no soul, so instead he loves to lose!
Bullpen shaping up.
– Jimenez
– Acevedo
– Puk
– Jackson
– Moll
– Snead
– Luis Medina?
I believe Medina is Out of Options so he needs to be on the 25-Man Roster.
Oller and Adrian Martinez could pitch out of the Bullpen as they appear to be Squeezed-out of the team’s Rotation plans.
Payamps and Cyr might have to be Sacrificed in order to Protect more players from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
The A’s actually have a solid bullpen. Though I still would like to see them sign an experienced closer.
The A’s actually have a lot of prospects eligible for the rule 5 draft. Lawrence Butler is a no brainer to protect, but they’ll have some tough decisions to make with Hogan Harris, Colin Peluse, Logan Davidson, and many others.
A’s have done well building a decent pen by Dumpster Diving. Farhan across the Bay get’s all the cracks made at him, but the A’s with this new build should focus on this. Bummed they did not scoop up Solak b4 the Reds.
A’s loading up on cheap pen arms again! Nice. Last year worked out well and we can trade from this surplus, especially since quality BP arms are getting pricey.
It’s a solid signing. Just the type of guy the A’s turn into a player, and trade at the deadline for some nice prospects. Nice job by the Athletics.