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Blue Jays Fill Rotation by Signing Jaime Garcia

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

Orioles Sign Andrew Cashner

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

Diamondbacks Sign Alex Avila

Royals and Athletics Swap Parts

Brewers Sign Lorenzo Cain

Miami Sends Christian Yelich to Brewers

Giants Sign Austin Jackson

Blue Jays Acquire Randal Grichuk

Blue Jays Sign Curtis Granderson

Giants Trade for Andrew McCutchen

Astros Acquire Gerrit Cole

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?

Angels Trade for Ian Kinsler

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

Rockies Sign Chris Iannetta

Angels Land Shohei Ohtani

Tigers Sign Mike Fiers

Dee Gordon Traded to Mariners

Cubs Sign Tyler Chatwood

Rangers Sign Mike Minor

Wellington Castillo Inks Deal with White Sox

Potential Closers Traded: Boxberger and Johnson

Doug Fister Signs with Rangers

Ryon Healy Traded to Mariners

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