Garcia agrees to deal with Yankees
The New York Yankees have signed Freddy Garcia to a minor league agreement, sources revealed Monday night. The Yankees have not yet confirmed the deal.
According to sources, Garcia will join the team to flesh out the thin back end of New York’s starting lineup for spring training. The deal is still un-declared, with only two weeks to go before the Yankees head down to Tampa for the start of the training
session.
The 35-year-old Garcia will be paid $5.1 million, which includes a $1.5 million basic salary and a further $3.6 million as incentives. The incentives will be awarded if the pitcher gets 30 starts in the upcoming season. The deal also lets Garcia opt out
by March 29.
In his last season for the Chicago White Sox, the starting pitcher made 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 28 starts. He was considered one of the most consistent starters for the White Sox. Garcia made 89 strike outs and was struck for only 85-runs and 171 hits in
157 innings.
Garcia was always interested in joining the Yankees and he made that quite clear in an earlier statement made to a South American newspaper. He is quoted as saying that his goal was to join the New York Yankees and that he was not returning to the White
Sox.
The Yankees were looking to add him to their roster for a couple of months to fill in any gaps in their pitching lineup. New York has lost its pitching depth because their top starter, free-agent Cliff Lee, rejected his contract. The management was also
concerned that 38-year-old left-hander, Andy Pettitte, will be retiring soon. Garcia seems to be a good choice for the Yankee’s and has the right skill set to complement the younger pitchers.
In his 12-year career, Garcia has had 16 consecutive four game winners. The two-time All-Star has played for four teams, including the Seattle Mariners for six seasons and the White Sox for five seasons. He has a 133-87 record with 4.13 Earned Runs Averages
and 1390 strike-outs with 1.30 WHIP in 12 seasons from 2000 to 2010. He has also had partial season stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers.
Garcia just might be the guy to help the Yankees get through their rebuilding phase. He also might have a chance to close out his career with a World Series win with the Yankees.
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