Freddy Garcia Is Headed For NL West, But Not The Rockies

Freddy Garcia is off the market. The San Diego Padres signed the veteran right-handed starter to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp.

Presumably this is the same offer he would have received from the Rockies, who reportedly expressed interest in his services last month.

I feel like this bit of news saves the Rockies from themselves. As evidenced by my reaction to the Garcia rumblings last month, you can find a way to talk yourself into him. He enjoyed moderate success the last couple seasons on a big stage in a tough division as a member of the New York Yankees. His numbers were mediocre, but he survived despite his fly ball tendencies in the hitter-friendly “new” Yankees Stadium. The argument in favor of Garcia clings to a lot of cliches like “savvy veteran” and “has thick skin.” While those traits combined with any type of name recognition make any free agent worthy of consideration, Garcia gets hit much too hard and surrenders too many fly balls to be a good fit for the Rockies.

Garcia heads to San Diego to compete for a roster spot. Image: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

We tried the “savvy veteran who gives up fly balls” thing last year. How well did that work out?

The fact that the “Garcia to Colorado” rumors never gained traction is a good thing.