Freddy Garcia CAREER TRACKER

Freddy García

Freddy Antonio García (born June 10, 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers organization. García began his major league career with the Seattle Mariners in 1999 and was traded to the Chicago White Sox during the 2004 season. He bats and throws right-handed.

Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1993, García was acquired by Seattle in 1998, along with Carlos Guillén and John Halama in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros.

During García's rookie season, he pitched 201 innings, compiling a 17-8 record with 170 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 33 starts. After going 9-5 in his second season, he went on to win 18, 16, 12, 13, and 14 games over the course of the next five seasons.

Freddy was the starting pitcher in the championship clinching Game 4 of the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox, going 7 innings and allowing no earned runs.

Freddy experienced a bit of controversy in 2006 when it was alleged by a Venezuelan newspaper that he failed a drug test during the World Baseball Classic.[1]

In 2006, he surpassed 1200 strikeouts for his career. In eight post-season games, he is 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA in 48 innings. Also during 2006, on April 29, García recorded his 103rd career win in a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, surpassing former White Sox left-hander Wilson Alvarez as the Venezuelan native with most career wins in Major League history.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on December 6, 2006, in exchange for prospects Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez[2]. While Phillies fans eagerly anticipated Garcia's 2007 season, he failed to live up to even the lowest of expectations. Garcia hid a shoulder injury for the first several months of the season and was finally placed on the disabled list in June. He made 11 starts before being placed on the DL and earned one win. That win infamously became known in Philadelphia as the "ten million dollar win," in reference to Garcia's ten million dollar salary. Garcia was not re-signed by the Phillies after the 2007 season.

García throws a fastball that can get into the 90s and a hard slider. He also throws a two-seamer, a curve, a changeup and occasionally uses a splitter.

On August 12 2008, Freddy Garcia signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Highlights

* Two time All-Star (2001 and 2002)
* Led league in ERA (3.05, 2001)
* Led league in innings pitched (238.2, 2001)
* Won a world championship with the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 season.

Trivia

* Garcia was the American League pitcher on the mound when the 2002 All-Star Game was called after 11 innings, and ended as a 7-7 tie. The other pitcher was Philadelphia's Vicente Padilla.

08/28/2008 11:59 PM ET
Garcia proves that he has rebounded
Veteran rehabs in Columbus, hoping for late season callup
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Freddy Garcia kept reminding others that he was on an operating table having his right shoulder repaired just under a year ago at this time, and watching baseball on TV earlier this summer, so simply pitching in games anywhere makes him happy. The smile on his face showed how much happier he'll be if he can pitch in the Majors next week.

After three scoreless innings and four strikeouts for the Triple-A Mud Hens on Thursday against Columbus, he made his case.

"They wanted me to come here to face more experience," Garcia said. "So I proved to them I can pitch right now."

Garcia came to town for a one-time performance trying to prove he's ready to pitch in the big leagues again. In an ideal world, he'd have more time here to strengthen his arm and stretch out his innings, but the Minor League seasons wrap up in less than a week, before he'll be ready to start again. Thus, his second outing in the Tigers farm system was his finale.

He has two directions he can go from here -- up to Detroit, south to the Florida Instructional League, or all the way back home to Miami. The downward movement in his breaking ball and ability to hit the low corners could soon have him heading up for September.

Garcia was scheduled to throw three innings or up to 50 pitches, but he needed just 32 pitches for three scoreless frames. In that span, he showed much the same story the Tigers had on him when he signed: The offspeed pitches are there, and he has to build his arm strength after being shelved for so long.

With Tigers manager Jim Leyland and most of his coaching staff watching from the press box, Garcia's fastball topped out at 88 mph and was consistently at 86-87. Those numbers are close to how hard he threw on his better days last year in Philadelphia, before a torn labrum derailed his season. He has won games with less, and he showed some of the offspeed arsenal behind that.

The 33-year-old right-hander threw more of a mix of pitches, rather than basing everything off of the fastball. That, he said, was by design. He wanted to see how Triple-A hitters reacted to his slider and changeup. All four of his strikeouts and many of his other outs came on pitches besides the fastball, so he was pleased with the results.

"I could throw my offspeed pitch," Garcia said. "It's important, because my fastball, I know I'll get it back as I keep pitching."

Garcia needed just eight pitches to retire the side in order in his opening inning, but two of those outs came on bunt attempts. On the other, he worked ahead and struck out former Yankees prospect Alberto Gonzalez for the other out.

Both hits he allowed came on consecutive batters leading off the second -- one on an offspeed pitch grounded back up the middle, the other on a fastball that ended up bouncing off the left-field wall. A throwout at second gave Garcia one out with which to work as he tried to strand Jorge Padilla on third. He sent down Greg Porter on a checked swing on a breaking ball before Frank Diaz grounded out on another offspeed pitch to retire the side.

Garcia racked up back-to-back strikeouts on Ray Olmedo and Ed Rogers before a first-pitch flyout to center ended his outing.

Though Garcia missed location on a couple fastballs, he threw 25 of his 32 pitches for strikes.

"To me, you just look not so much at the success, but the swings against him," Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish said. "There weren't many good swings tonight against him. ... The thing you can see about him, too, is he has a lot of confidence in himself."

It's more a quiet confidence, a sense that he'll pitch again in the big leagues whether it's this year or next. It's somewhat surprising for someone who had never been through major surgery, and he admitted he wasn't sure following the surgery if he would get to this point.

"I didn't think I'd be able to throw [this year]," he said. "And right now, I'm in Triple-A. I have to feel good about it."

Still, he clearly would like to get to Detroit this year. The Tigers, he said, were the first team to call his agent as he rehabbed, and kept calling for updates. They're also the home for his best friend, Carlos Guillen, and two of the greatest players from his native Venezuela in Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera.

He said Thursday he had no idea what their choice would be.

"I'll be happy if I make it to the big leagues this year," Garcia said. "But if not, I'll go home and rest and get ready for next year. It's important for me to be healthy again, be 100 percent. If they call me up, good. If not, go home and rest. I'll be working a lot on my shoulder."

The Tigers have no contractual obligation to call up Garcia, who signed a Minor League contract earlier this month. Leyland said earlier this week that no decision had been made. He would talk with president/general manager Dave Dombrowski after watching Garcia pitch.

With the Tigers out of the playoff chase and uncertainty in the pitching staff for next year, however, a look at Garcia appears likely. Dontrelle Willis' continued work to regain his command -- he isn't expected to make a final start for Toledo next week as scheduled because of soreness in his forearm -- and Nate Robertson's move to the bullpen have put Detroit's rotation in flux simply for September. Garcia will be a free agent this winter, but his agent has indicated the Tigers would have the first crack at trying to sign him.

Whatever happens, Garcia will be happy. After all, for someone whom Guillen said was crying at times when he'd watch games on television this year, he's back in games.

"I stayed home, did my therapy, took time to rest," Garcia said. "Everybody was playing. I was home. At least now I'm here. I have to feel good about it."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Friday, August 29, 2008
Garcia has second solid outing
Right-hander throws three shutout innings for Toledo under watchful eye of skipper Leyland.
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Freddy Garcia definitely looked ready to help the Tigers.

Pitching three innings Thursday in his second appearance since recovering from shoulder surgery (torn labrum), Garcia didn't give up a run for Toledo, the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate.

The right-hander allowed two hits, struck out four and walked none under the watchful eyes of manager Jim Leyland and most of the Tigers coaching staff.

"I felt pretty good for my second outing in almost a year," Garcia said. "I could throw my off-speed pitches. I feel great. Hopefully, everything will keep going well.

"I proved I can pitch."

Garcia threw 32 pitches, 25 for strikes. He topped at approximately 88 mph, a normal speed for Garcia, and was effective throwing his breaking pitches.

"Not many good swings against for a guy who hasn't been out there for a while," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said. "I was very satisfied with the way he threw. For a guy 11 months off surgery, that was pretty good. He had good angle on his breaking ball.

"For me, you look not so much at the success as much as the swings against him. There weren't many good swings against him."

Garcia said he's had no indication from the Tigers whether he'll be promoted to Detroit in September. But after his outing Thursday, Garcia is eager to pitch in the big leagues.

"I'll be happy if I can make it to the big leagues this year, but if not, I'll go home and rest and get ready for next year," Garcia said. "It's important for me to get healthy again."

Why did Garcia choose to sign with the Tigers?

"They were one of the first teams that called, and they were always calling my agent to see how I was doing," Garcia said. "For me, that was important. I wanted to sign with them. They wanted me, and you want to go somewhere where they want you."'

Garcia was surprised to hear Leyland and the coaching staff were in attendance.

"That's nice," Garcia said. "They should be at home enjoying the family."

You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606 or ted.kulfan@detnews.com

08/29/2008 8:10 PM ET
Leyland impressed by Garcia
Manager watches righty's second Minor League start
By David Just / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Freddy Garcia has been a hot topic ever since the Tigers signed him to a Minor League contract on Aug. 12, and manager Jim Leyland was in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday to see for himself what they acquired.

The skipper was nothing short of impressed.

Making his second Minor League start and first with the Triple-A Mud Hens, Garcia tossed three strong innings, surrendering no runs and striking out four.

"I saw exactly what I expected," Leyland said. "I saw a guy that's coming back. He definitely knows what he's doing. He threw some balls 86 [mph]; he threw some balls 88, 89. He had a good curveball, good split -- a know-how guy."

Garcia made only 11 starts last year for the Phillies, who declined to offer him arbitration after having shoulder surgery that was going to cost him most, if not all, of the 2008 season.

It was a nearly risk-free signing for the Tigers, who now must decide whether to bring up the 33-year-old right-hander in September.

"We have not made a final decision on that yet," Leyland said. "We're discussing some options, but there's been nothing cemented along those lines. We have some ideas, which I don't care to share right now, but that has definitely not been decided for sure.

"I saw some things I liked, for sure, but the guy's pitched five innings. The arm was free. There was no restrictions or anything. I know how the guy competes. I don't worry so much about the results. I liked the way he pitched."

Leyland also said Garcia might pitch winter ball to try to build up his arm strength, but decisions on that are not final, either.

"This guy last year wasn't a real hard thrower, but he still was a very successful pitcher," Leyland said. "This guy used to be a 94-95 [mph thrower]. Do I think that's ever gonna happen again? That's probably questionable. I'm not necessarily looking for that. I don't think that's gonna happen. But you don't have to throw 94-95. I was pleased with what I saw."

David Just is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

08/30/2008 7:42 PM ET
Garcia's future remains uncertain
Questions remain after Saturday meeting with Leyland
By David Just / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Freddy Garcia was at Comerica Park on Saturday morning for a workout and a meeting with manager Jim Leyland, but details regarding a potential callup remain scarce.

Leyland said that if anything is going to happen, it will happen soon.

"It's just a combination of working out some details," Leyland said. "I believe we'll have, probably -- most likely -- some announcements [on Sunday] on our callups."

Rosters expand on Monday, and Leyland's announcement may or may not include Garcia, who signed a Minor League contract with the Tigers on Aug. 12.

In order to be promoted to the big league club, Garcia would need to be added to the 40-man roster. At that point, the Tigers would have to extend his contract, or he would become a free agent this offseason.

Dialogue about a possible extension was not part of Garcia's conversation with the manager on Saturday morning, Leyland said.

Monday will mark a one-year anniversary of sorts for the right-hander, who had his shoulder surgery on Sept. 1 of last year. Though he may never throw the 94-95 mph that he once did, Garcia isn't going to change his approach on the mound.

"I don't think he's gonna change the way he pitches," Leyland said. "I wouldn't expect a guy that has labrum and rotator cuff [injuries] to throw 95 again. I guess it does happen, but I wouldn't expect it."

Garcia will not throw anymore in the Minor Leagues because those seasons are ending, so the only other opportunity to pitch before a possible winter ball season will be with the Tigers in September.

"It certainly appears that he's determined to try and pitch again," Leyland said. "His desire to do that again is obviously there."

David Just is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

09/01/2008 3:05 PM ET
Tigers prep Garcia for simulated game
Recovering righty to alternate innings with Willis on Tuesday
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Freddy Garcia's first pitching assignment with the Tigers will match him up against Dontrelle Willis in Tuesday's simulated game.

Manager Jim Leyland said on Monday morning that while Garcia won't join the active roster yet, he'll join the pitching ranks on Tuesday. He'll alternate simulated innings with Willis on Tuesday afternoon at Comerica Park.

While no plans have been announced for Garcia past that, the outing is expected to stretch out his arm for a potential start at a later date. He at least looms as an option after signing a Minor League contract last month, making one start each at Class A Lakeland and Triple-A Toledo.

Garcia pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the Mud Hens on Thursday. After that game, he said he could probably go four innings at that point if the Tigers needed him for a start. Tuesday's simulated game will likely try to stretch him past that point to allow him to go longer in a real game.

At this point, arm strength and endurance appear to be the remaining points to improve in Garcia's game. One year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and repair his right rotator cuff, Garcia's velocity has improved but hasn't hit its previous level, while his offspeed pitches have been effective.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

10/10/08 1:45 PM ET
Tigers' Garcia ready for winter ball
Free-agent-to-be hoping to prove health in front of scouts
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

Freddy Garcia's late-season stint with the Tigers ended with five solid innings and a tight shoulder in Detroit's season finale. His second season of the year is about to begin, and it could have a big bearing on his big league future, whether or not it's in Detroit.

A week and a half after Garcia left his Sept. 29 outing with an injury around his surgically repaired shoulder, the veteran right-hander was slated to throw a side session Friday. If that goes well, he'll return to his native Venezuela on Monday to join his winter ball club at Magallanes and hopefully start pitching in games by the end of next week, according his agent, Peter Greenberg.

What happens from there will be one of the many issues the Tigers have to address this offseason as they try to retool a pitching staff that manager Jim Leyland said at season's end has just two or three spots sewn up.

"I think they like what they saw," Greenberg said Friday. "It's going to be up to them once they make their plans."

Garcia's comeback hasn't always gone to plan, but it appears to be nearing a fruition. The 33-year-old, who won 17 games and a World Series with the White Sox in 2005 before shoulder problems put his career on hold the next year, signed a Minor League contract with the Tigers in August and made a few starts in Detroit's farm system. It was the next step of his rehab process after undergoing surgery on his right labrum and rotator cuff in August 2007.

A couple simulated games later, the Tigers purchased his contract from Triple-A Toledo and put him on a big league mound. His first Major League start in more than a year saw him allow a lone unearned run on two hits in five innings Sept. 17 at Texas. A Sept. 23 loss to the Royals, who hit him for three home runs over five innings, was expected to be his final start of the season, but he was on schedule to face the White Sox in their makeup game if the AL Central race necessitated it.

He got his chance and nearly pitched the White Sox out of the playoffs, He took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning before feeling a twinge around his neck, prompting Leyland and head athletic trainer Kevin Rand to visit the mound.

The injury was muscular tightness stretching from his neck to his right shoulder, Greenberg said. A follow-up examination from Dr. Joe Fernandez in Miami confirmed no structural damage.

"It was cold and rainy [that day], and the start of the game was delayed," Greenberg said. "He was feeling good because his velocity was getting up again. I think he got tired a little bit and tight because of the weather."

Garcia had originally hoped to keep throwing after that outing and transition seamlessly into winter ball a couple weeks later. Instead, he rested his arm until Friday's mound session to avoid aggravating the injury and risking his winter ball season. It isn't simply a matter of pitching in his native country, but pitching for Major League scouts with an eye towards a free-agent contract this winter.

The plan is for Garcia to pitch two months in Venezuela, stretching his pitch count as he goes along to demonstrate his arm can take the workload. He'll likely keep his pitch counts low for the first couple outings since he has had to rest his arm.

While Garcia heads for winter ball, the Tigers will begin their end-of-season organizational meetings next week -- first evaluating the farm system, then looking at the big league club, free agents and trade market later in the month. Garcia, whom the Tigers had coveted in years past, will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation.

Technically, the Tigers retain exclusive negotiating rights to Garcia until after the World Series, when he can file for free agency. No contractual talks have taken place so far.

"Freddy's going to give them the first opportunity," Greenberg said. "When they're ready to talk, we'll listen."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Freddy Garcia Injured in Venezuelan Winter League

Freddy Garcia left Thursday night's game after two innings with a muscle strain in his throwing shoulder, according to the official web site of his opponent, los Tigres de Aragua (and the best translation of contractura I could find). This obviously doesn't help his chances of getting a guaranteed contract this season.

Updated El Universal reports Freddy left the game with shoulder discomfort, and Magallenes official site (Garcia's team) has no additional detail, either.

11/28/08 1:04 PM EST
Garcia's shoulder issue might be back
Free-agent right-hander reportedly leaves game with soreness

By Robert Falkoff / MLB.com

Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia may have hit a speed bump on the comeback trail. Garcia, a free agent who finished the 2008 season with Detroit, left a game in the Venezuelan Winter League on Thursday after two innings due to shoulder discomfort, according to Venezuelan newspaper El Universal.

Garcia was 1-1 with 4.20 ERA in 15 innings after signing with the Tigers last year. He was the American League ERA champion with Seattle in 2001 (3.05) and contributed to the White Sox World Series title run in 2005.

Garcia, 33, is 118-77 overall in his Major League career, with a 4.07 ERA. Garcia was the starting pitcher for the White Sox in the clinching Game 4 of the '05 World Series. He worked seven innings against the Astros and didn't allow an earned run.

In both 2001 and '02, Garcia represented the Mariners as an American League All-Star.

Robert Falkoff is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/05/08 6:28 PM EST
Garcia suffers minor shoulder setback
Pitcher shut down for two weeks, but no structural damage found

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

Free agent right-hander Freddy Garcia suffered another setback in his return from shoulder surgery, but the injury is not as severe as previously speculated.

Hours after a Venezuelan sports paper quoted an anonymous source saying that Garcia would miss four months with a major biceps injury, MRI results taken Thursday revealed no structural or muscular damage. Garcia was diagnosed with tightness in his throwing shoulder, agent Peter Greenberg said Friday evening, and will begin a throwing program in hopes of returning in two weeks.

Garcia had just started pitching winter ball in his native Venezuela to show scouts he's healthy after making three effective starts down the stretch last season for Detroit. He left his scheduled start last week after two innings with tightness in his shoulder. It was believed to be a minor injury, but after a torn labrum in 2007 cost him surgery and a year of rehab, the MRI demonstrated some caution.

Garcia also had shoulder tightness that knocked him out of Detroit's regular season finale Sept. 29 and slowed his throwing program in preparation for winter ball. MRI results in October were also negative.

A two-week absence would allow Garcia a few more starts in winter ball and at least a few more looks in front of Major League scouts before the Venezuelan League's regular season ends. It will also likely leave the free agent on the market heading past the holiday season. Teams have expressed preliminary interest in Garcia this offseason, but so far, the Tigers have not been involved in discussions.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Is Freddy ready to sign with Sox?
Posted by scotgreg on Thu, 01/15/2009 - 20:10

GM Kenny Williams is apparently willing to give some young position players (3B Josh Fields, CF Jerry Owens, 2Bs Jayson Nix and Chris Getz) a chance to show what they can do this season. But when it comes to pitching _ particularly the starting rotation _ Kenny prefers experience. That was evident on Thursday, when Bartolo Colon signed a one-year deal to step in as the No. 4 starter.

And don’t be surprised if Freddy Garcia agrees to a similar deal within the next few days. As reported in the Daily Herald Thursday, Garcia is strongly considering returning to the White Sox. When asked, indirectly, if the addition of Colon completes the starting five, Williams coyly said: “We’ll see.”

That is code for no, but Garcia might get a better offer from the Mets, Yankees or Rangers. Either way, Colon’s presence probably means Jeff Marquez (acquired from the Yankees in the Nick Swisher trade) is likely headed for Class AAA Charlotte, which is the right spot. If Garcia heads elsewhere, Marquez, Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard are positioned to compete for the fifth starter’s spot.

Why Garcia chose Mets over Yanks
Posted by:Jon Heyman
09:16 AM ET 01.23.2009

Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia chose the Mets over the Yankees because he felt it gave him the best opportunity to pitch, as the Mets still have not filled their final starting job. Even if the Mets sign one more starting pitcher, Garcia could still have a chance to make the starting rotation since the recently-signed Tim Redding has the versatility to pitch out of the bullpen.

While the Yankees still would appear to have one final unsettled spot in the rotation, as well, there's still a chance longtime Yankee Andy Pettitte could reverse course and grab that job, and Garcia apparently wondered about that possibility. The Mets are still trying to sign a starter, and are focusing mostly on their own free agent Oliver Perez, but there's no certainty they will be able to secure him. And even if Perez does re-sign with the Mets, Redding, who has a guaranteed $2.25-million contract (plus incentives), has the ability to pitch out of the bullpen.

There was no immediate word on the exact details of Garcia's contract but indications are that if he fulfills his incentives, it would exceed the $6.8 million Carl Pavano could make with Cleveland. (Pavano received a major league contract that guarantees him at least $1.5 million.) Garcia, who is 118-77 lifetime and was 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA after returning for Detroit last year, has had a few fits and starts while returning after shoulder surgery, but is said by people close to him to be healthy now.

March 18, 2009
Say goodnight, Freddy

PORT ST. LUCIE -- We haven't spoken to Jerry Manuel yet, but it's probably safe to say Freddy Garcia won't be long for the Mets camp. The veteran right-hander's already slim odds of winning the No. 5 starter job appeared to fly out the window here today with his disaster of a four-run, four-hit first inning of work against the Braves. Garcia is still throwing what amounts to batting practice with his surgically repaired right shoulder, and Atlanta's Martin Prado took advantage with a two-out, three run blast that gave the Braves a 5-2 lead. Garcia then gave up another run in the seventh.
Buzz up!

Posted by Bart Hubbuch on March 18, 2009 2:59 PM

Herd's Garcia shoulders the blame
Aching starter runs into trouble in fifth inning

By Mike Harrington
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

A broken-down pitcher. A broken-down offense. Another embarrassment for the Buffalo Bisons.

That's the capsule summary of the latest sorry affair in Coca-Cola Field as the Syracuse Chiefs rumbled past the hapless Herd, 7-1, on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep and improve to 7-0 against the Bisons this season.

A paid crowd of 5,140 saw Buffalo fall to 2-15 — the worst record in professional baseball.

The Bisons were held to only two hits for the second time this season but that's old news for this punchless bunch.

The biggest story in the eyes of the desperate-for-pitching New York Mets is that Freddy Garcia says the front area of his right shoulder is sore.

Once an ace for Seattle and the Chicago White Sox, Garcia had shoulder surgery in 2007 and is a shell of his old self.

After giving up six runs in the fifth, the last four on Ryan Langerhans' grand slam to right, a downcast Garcia sounded close to calling it a career.

"Maybe I want to try it one more time. If I don't feel the way I'm supposed to be feeling right now, I don't know," said Garcia, 32. "I have to make a decision what I'm going to do. I don't know yet. Hopefully next time I'll feel better. I want to wait for tomorrow and see how I feel.

"I don't feel I have any power so I tried to do the best I can do with whatever I have."

Garcia has an 8.18 earned run average and has lost both his starts for the Herd. He threw 80 pitches Monday, 54 for strikes. He twice hit 85 mph and had a few other pitches in the low 80s. He was mostly in the mid-70s and was throwing offspeed stuff in the mid-60s.

None of that, of course, is near major league velocity.

"Obviously he's not the young Freddy Garcia but he's a veteran, he's got to locate," said manager Ken Oberkfell. "He battled, there's no question. He was one pitch away from getting us through the fifth inning.

"His velocity is definitely not there. Hopefully he's healthy."

A few minutes later, Garcia revealed he's not.

That's a shame, too. Because if Garcia was anything close to the guy who threw seven shutout innings for the White Sox in the 2005 World Series clincher at Houston, he would easily have a ticket to New York.

Garcia was OK for the first four innings Monday, allowing a run on three hits. But with two out and just one run home in the fifth, he couldn't get the final out. Joel Guzman, who entered the game 2 for 29 with no RBIs, got his second RBI single of the night and Langerhans bombed Garcia's next pitch onto the grass in right-center.

"I want to do the best things I can the next couple days. I want to feel better," Garcia said. "Hopefully it will work out for me but I don't know. I'm working really hard to try to get right but my shoulder doesn't respond.

"I'm going to try my best. If not, I guess I'll go home. I don't know. That's it, man."

As for the Buffalo offense, there was nothing to it again. Cory Sullivan's leadoff home run in the first and Jose Coronado's leadoff single in the fifth were all the Bisons mustered against four Syracuse pitchers.

The team batting average fell to .196 and the Bisons have scored just 45 runs in their 17 games.

"It's the same broken record day in and day out," said Oberkfell, whose club is 1-11 at home. "I honestly don't know what to say. Should I go in there and break a bunch of tables and chairs? Does that get them going? I don't know."

Nelson Figueroa, just back from New York, will start for the Herd tonight in the opener of a two-game set in Rochester (6:35 p.m., Radio 1520 AM).

Sox pick up options on Garcia, Thornton
Chicago pitchers set for 2010 run with club

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

10/06/09 3:23 PM EST

CHICAGO -- After thoroughly shutting down the Tigers over seven innings on Saturday night at Comerica Park, Freddy Garcia presented a fairly succinct analysis of his work to the media.

"I really didn't make any mistakes," said the White Sox right-hander with a smile.

The White Sox basically feel the same about the moves they made regarding Garcia and left-hander reliever Matt Thornton on Tuesday. The team picked up 2010 options on both pitchers, with Thornton's coming at $2.25 million and Garcia's checking in at $1 million, with $2 million in performance bonuses.

Garcia made his desire abundantly clear to stay with the White Sox in 2010, after joining the team via a Minor League deal on June 8. He backed up his words on the field, posting a 3-4 record with a 4.34 ERA in nine starts. Seven of Garcia's nine trips to the mound were of the quality variety, while averaging just over six innings and 92 pitches per start.

Left-handers hit a paltry .194 against the 33-year-old, who doesn't have the same zip as he once did on his fastball, but certainly knows how to pitch and work batters. Garcia also doesn't fear working in a big game, as manager Ozzie Guillen pointed out this past weekend when the focus became the move of Jake Peavy from the Cleveland series to the Tigers, instead of on 'Big Game' Freddy.

"That guy can pitch, there's no doubt about it," said Guillen of Garcia. "You have to beat him. He's not going to beat himself. He knows the hitters real well and that's his advantage."

Bringing back Garcia gives the White Sox one of the deeper starting rotations in baseball, with Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. The White Sox can even go six or seven deep with young hurlers such as Daniel Hudson and Carlos Torres, although Torres appears better suited for long relief.

"As soon as we got Peavy, we knew we were going to be tough," Danks said. "Our goal next year is to be the best staff in baseball. There are other good staffs in baseball, but we feel we can compete with the best of them."

Thornton, 33, probably stood as an even easier call to make for the White sox than Garcia, if that's possible. The hard-throwing left-hander proved to be the team's most consistent hurler from start to finish, producing a 6-3 record with a 2.74 ERA.

In 72 1/3 innings, Thornton fanned 87, walked 20 and gave up just 58 hits, as opposing hitters batted .217 against him. The White Sox currently have Bobby Jenks in place as their closer, but if they decided to test the market with the burly right-hander, they have a closer-in-the-waiting in Thornton.

At the very least, the White Sox have one of the top setup men in the American League.

"It comes down to throwing strikes, being able to mix pitches," Thornton said. "Using my fastball and moving it around is mixing for me."

These moves made with Garcia and Thornton leave outfielder Jermaine Dye as the only option remaining. Dye and the White Sox hold a mutual option of $12 million, with a $1 million buyout. Guillen strongly hinted over the weekend in Detroit that Dye would not return, a tough decision for everyone in the organization, as Dye is held in the highest of esteem and has been one of the AL's most productive players since joining the White Sox in 2005.

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Garcia, Yankees agree to Minor League deal
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 01/31/11 11:15 PM EST

NEW YORK -- The Yankees have added another contender for their starting rotation, signing veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

Garcia, 35, will join a field of hurlers competing this spring to fill out the thin back end of New York's starting mix.

The Yankees have not made an announcement because Garcia must pass a physical for the deal to become official.

Pitching last season for the White Sox, Garcia was 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 28 starts, serving as one of the more reliable starters on Chicago's staff. In 157 innings, Garcia allowed 85 runs (81 earned) and 171 hits, walking 45 and striking out 89.

Adding pitchers has been the team's main priority since it was spurned by its top target, free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee, and has continued to proceed as though 38-year-old left-hander Andy Pettitte will indeed retire.

The Yankees have right-handers Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre in line to serve as their fourth and fifth starters, but have now supplemented them with a pool of competition which includes Garcia and 37-year-old Bartolo Colon, plus several younger internal options.

Earlier Monday, Garcia was quoted in a Venezuelan newspaper as saying that the Yankees were his first choice and that he did not expect to return to the White Sox, who had maintained interest in bringing him back.

A two-time All-Star, Garcia has won at least 16 games four times in his 12-year career. He has spent the majority of his career in the American League, working with the Seattle Mariners for six seasons and with the White Sox for five.

Garcia has also spent partial seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers, compiling a career record of 133-87 with a 4.13 ERA.

He led the AL in ERA with a 3.05 mark in 2001 and has established a track record for durability during his career, crossing the 200-inning threshold seven times. Garcia missed significant time with a shoulder injury in '07, though, and has not pitched more than 160 innings in a season since.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela), nicknamed "The Chief", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees organization. During his major league career, he pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox. García throws a fastball that can get into the 90s and a hard slider. He also throws a two-seamer, a curve, a changeup and occasionally uses a splitter.[1] Garcia's best year was in 2001 in which he led the American League in innings pitched and ERA. He made the All-Star team in 2001 and 2002. In 2005, he was a member of the World Series winning Chicago White Sox and started the series winning game 4.


Major League Baseball career

Seattle Mariners

Originally signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1993, García was acquired by Seattle in 1998, along with Carlos Guillén and John Halama in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros.[2]

During García's rookie season, he pitched 201 innings, compiling a 17-8 record with 170 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 33 starts. After going 9-5 in his second season, he went on to win 18, 16, 12, 13, and 14 games over the course of the next five seasons. Garcia was the American League pitcher on the mound when the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was called after 11 innings, and ended as a 7-7 tie. The other pitcher was Vicente Padilla of the Philadelphia Phillies.

At the July 31 trading deadline in 2004, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Mike Morse, Miguel Olivo, and Jeremy Reed.


Chicago White Sox

Garcia was the starting pitcher in the championship clinching Game 4 of the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox, going 7 scoreless innings.

Garcia experienced a bit of controversy at the beginning of the 2006 season when he tested positive for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic.[3]

In 2006, he surpassed 1200 strikeouts for his career. In eight post-season games, he was 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA in 48 innings. Also during 2006, on April 29, García recorded his 103rd career win in a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, surpassing former White Sox left-hander Wilson Alvarez as the Venezuelan native with most career wins in Major League history. He finished the season 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA.[2]


Philadelphia Phillies

Garcia with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007.

In December 2006, Garcia was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez.[2] While Phillies fans eagerly anticipated Garcia's 2007 season, he failed to live up to expectations. He hid a shoulder injury for the first several months of the season and was finally placed on the disabled list (DL) in June. Garcia made 11 starts before being placed on the DL and earned one win.


Detroit Tigers

In August 2008, García signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. In his first 2 minor league starts with the Tigers he pitched 5 innings, gave up no runs, and struck out 5. In his Tigers debut in late September, García, with a limited pitch count, threw 5 scoreless innings to get the win.


New York Mets

In January 2009, García agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Mets. He was released from the Mets on April 28, 2009 because of two bad starts with the Triple-A farm team, Buffalo Bisons.[4] He was released without having appeared on the club's regular season roster.[5][6]


Second stint with the Chicago White Sox

On June 8, 2009, the Chicago White Sox signed Garcia to a minor league contract.[7] Garcia started on August 18 against the Kansas City Royals for the first time with the White Sox since 2006. In his first game back with the White Sox, Garcia went 4.1 IP allowing 5 ER in a losing effort. Garcia finished the 2009 season with a 3-4 record and a 4.34 ERA. On October 5, 2009, the Chicago White Sox exercised their 2010 option on Garcia, adding that the 34-year-old will make a $1 million base salary, plus a possible $2 million in incentives.[8]


New York Yankees

On January 31, 2011, it was reported that the he agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Yankees worth $1.5 million.[9]


References

1. ^ http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1077&position=P
   
2. ^ ^{a b c} "White Sox trade Garcia to Phillies for Floyd". Associated Press via ESPN. 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
   
3. ^ Sanchez, Jesse (2006-04-30). "Report: Garcia violates IBAF drug policy; Venezuela paper claims positive test for marijuana at Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
   
4. ^ espn.com
   
5. ^ Rubin, Adam (2009-01-23). "Garcia lands with Mets". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
   
6. ^ "Mets Sign RHP Freddy Garcia". MLB.com. 2009-01-23. vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
   
7. ^ http://scottmerkin.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/freddy_garcia_returns.html
   
8. ^ "ChiSox pick up Garcia's option". CNN. October 5, 2009.
   
9. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6078308