The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Jaime Garcia to a one-year deal. The Blue Jays were entering the season with four solid starters at the top of the rotation, so Garcia fills in the last spot.
Historically, the 30-year-old lefty has been an above-average pitcher … when healthy. From 2012 and 2015, he never threw over 130 innings in a season. The last couple of years, he’s mainly stayed off the DL, throwing 170 and 157 innings in 2016 and 2017, respectively. I think the Jays will be ecstatic if they get 140 innings from him in 2018.
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As for his talent level, Garcia has generally been the same pitcher, with a 7.5 K/9, 3.0 K/9, and a 55% GB%. Last season, the numbers were almost dead on, with a 7.4 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and 55% GB% with a 4.41 ERA. Owners should expect similar stats in 2018.
With Garcia’s steady average career so far, I see some upside. His sinker, slider, and change are each above-average pitches, with his sinker being elite last season (66% GB% and a 9% swinging-strike rate). His four-seam and curve are horrible, though, and he threw them a combined 37% of the time in 2017. If the Blue Jays can talk him into dropping those two sub-par offerings and relying on his three good pitches, he could take a major step forward. With a 583 ADP right now, he won’t cost fantasy owners anything on draft day. I would not be surprised if Garcia was a top-40 pitcher at season’s end.
Joe Biagini (7.3 K/9 and 5.35 ERA in 120 IP last season) is the biggest loser because he was previously slotted in as the Jays’ fifth starter. The 27-year-old righty looked to make a seamless transition from being a reliever to starting last season. However, he wasn’t able to keep his fastball velocity up and was demoted to Triple-A in the first part of August. He got promoted later that month but was unsuccessful again. Biagini looks to be a replacement-level starter but is probably best suited for bullpen work.
Previous Hot Stove Analysis
Cardinals Add Bud Norris to Crowded Bullpen
Cubs Get Their Ace, Sign Yu Darvish
Rangers Add Seung Hwan Oh to Bullpen
Mets Add Todd Frazier on Two-Year Deal
Royals and Athletics Swap Parts
Miami Sends Christian Yelich to Brewers
Blue Jays Acquire Randal Grichuk
Blue Jays Sign Curtis Granderson
Giants Trade for Andrew McCutchen
Twins Grab Their Closer, Sign Addison Reed
Mets Bring Back Jay Bruce on Three-Year Deal
Toronto Acquires Yangervis Solarte from San Diego
Royals, Dodgers, and White Sox Complete Three-Way Trade
Rockies Fill Closer Vacancy with Wade Davis
Arizona Adds Bullpen Depth with Yoshihisa Hirano
Indians Fill First-Base Void with Yonder Alonso
Brewers Bolster Rotation with Jhoulys Chacin
Orioles Lose Zach Britton, Brad Brach Likely Closer
Giants Add Evan Longoria, Rays Create a Mess
Red Sox Bring Back Mitch Moreland
CC Sabathia Returns to Yankees
Dodgers-Braves Make Five-Player Trade
Angels in the Infield: Zack Cozart Signs with Los Angeles
Phillies Ink Carlos Santana to Three-Year Deal
Everyone’s Signing Relievers, But Who Will Close?
Cardinals Finally Get Their Marlins Outfielder
Cubs and Twins Gamble on Smyly and Pineda
Chase Headley Gets Dumped on Padres
Cubs and Cardinals Add Potential Closers
Giancarlo Stanton Joins Yankees
Wellington Castillo Inks Deal with White Sox
Potential Closers Traded: Boxberger and Johnson