Dodgers Sign Veteran Freddy Garcia

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Hey you remember Freddy Garcia right? The last time the Dodgers saw the junk ball throwing 38-year old right hander was in game 4 of the 2013 NLDS against Atlanta. He was the guy who started against Clayton Kershaw, and nearly defeated the Dodgers. He pitched six effective innings in that unforgettable game. Well the Dodgers just acquired him on Sunday evening. The club announced they have signed him to a minor league deal.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Boys in Blue couldn’t do much off of him. He looked like a reanimated corpse, as he silently mowed down the Dodger batters that October. As it turns out, that would be the last MLB would see of him. After the Dodgers eliminated the Braves that October, Garcia would sign with the Taiwan League.

Garcia pitched for the EDA Rhinos of the Taiwan League last year, and picked up a gold glove, reportedly. The right hander was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Astros in 1993. He made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 1999, and has pitched in 15 MLB seasons.

Garcia spent six seasons with Seattle, winning 16, 17, and 18 games respectively. In 2001, he finished third in the AL Cy Young voting, by posting an 18-6 record, with a 3.05 ERA, and 163 whiffs in 238.2 innings pitched. 

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  • He would later pitch for the White Sox from 2004-2006, winning 17 games in 2006. He would then pitch a season in Philadelphia, a season in Detroit, before heading back to the White Sox for his second stint. After that he would pitch two seasons for the Yankees, and then split the 2013 season between Baltimore in the first half, and then the Braves in the second half.

    All total, Garcia is 156-108 with a 4.15 ERA in 376 Major League games. Garcia pitched in six games for Atlanta in the second half of the 2013 season. In that short stint, he posted a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings pitched. He allowed five earned runs on 23 hits, and struck out 20 batters against just five walks. Although injuries and age have limited Garcia to just three seasons of over 100 innings since 2006.

    With injuries to Erik Bedard, and Chad Gaudin, the Dodgers decided they needed to bolster their pitching depth. Garcia is expected to start the season in the triple-A rotation.