Freddy Garcia Gets Fingered
“Thank God we signed Freddy Garcia.”
-- Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
Signing Freddy Garcia at this stage in his career constitutes no such victories. But when you're managing a team that lost its two best young pitchers to second TJ surgeries, you'll be kneeling in front of whatever higher power for sending Garcia your way.
Oh, and Mike Minor and Gavin Floyd won't be ready until late April to early May. Ervin Santana signed late and might miss a couple of weeks as he gets up to game speed.
If there's a team who momentarily needed any body that's half-breathing, it's the Braves. But Gus Schlosser will take Garcia's spot instead.
The Braves cut ties with the 37-year-old crafty righty after it was clear that they had no intention of promoting him to the big league roster.
Garcia was average in 2013, going 4-7 with a 4.37 ERA / 94 adjusted ERA for the Baltimore Orioles and the Braves. He was pretty good with the Braves. Or pretty lucky. He threw 31 innings over three starts and six appearances, with a 1.65 ERA. He also started Atlanta's most important game last season, Game Four of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a must win. He gave up two runs over six innings. The Braves were winning. The Braves lost.
Garcia was set to make $1.5 million had he made the big league roster, but Atlanta instead chose the 24-year-old Schlosser. The right-hander flashed dominant stuff in the low minors, having back-to-back 8.00 plus strikeout-to-walk ratio. That hasn't translated Double A Mississippi, striking out six batters per nine innings. Still, he flashed a sub 3.00 ERA and did well in five spring appearances, including two starts. He struck out more than eight batters per nine innings, worked 13.1 innings and carried a 2.03 ERA.
Atlanta has a Golden Goose that shits out starters.
Gonzalez will go with Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, David Hale and Schlosser to start the season. Atlanta won't likely need a fifth starter until mid-April, and by then Santana will most likely be ready.
No, they didn't need Garcia after all.
