Jays sign Yimi Garcia

[G-Snarls]

Blue Jays To Sign Yimi GarciaNovember 27th, 2021 at 8:14pm CST • By Mark Polishuk

 

The Blue Jays have agreed to a deal with right-hander Yimi Garcia, as per former player Carlos Baerga via Instgram (hat tip to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi).

[Key22]

The initial report was a 3 year deal but that has been taken down.

[BTS]

I'm guessing it's 2/8 with an option

[G-Snarls]

Is this legit?

 

And if so where would he rank in our bullpen?

[BTS]

Is this legit?

 

And if do where would he rank in our bullpen?

 

It's real

 

[max silver]

Is this legit?

 

And if so where would he rank in our bullpen?

 

I'd say setup at best, likely below Cimber/Mayza but ahead of Richards. Not sure to feel about this signing, that will mostly depend on term and AAV.

[G-Snarls]

[gruber92]

Not a bad little signing, promising underlying numbers.

[Jays24]

I'd say setup at best, likely below Cimber/Mayza but ahead of Richards. Not sure to feel about this signing, that will mostly depend on term and AAV.

 

If this is true then that's awesome. We desperately needed to improve the bottom end of our bullpen. This will help Montoyo look good if he can't use the likes Thorton.

 

Just need to add one more elite bullpen arm now.

[G-Snarls]

If this is true then that's awesome. We desperately needed to improve the bottom end of our bullpen. This will help Montoyo look good if he can't use the likes Thorton.

 

Just need to add one more elite bullpen arm now.

 

Yes

 

Improving the average quality of the BP is good

[Krylian]

It's a two-year, $11-million deal and includes a club option.

[max silver]

It's a two-year, $11-million deal and includes a club option.

 

That's a super reasonable deal, zero reason to have any issues with this signing.

[G-Snarls]

That's a super reasonable deal, zero reason to have any issues with this signing.

 

These sorts of deals make more sense than paying 12-15M a year for relievers coming off career years

[Spanky99]

Nicely done Birds, I like Garcia. Solid move.

[BTS]

Meh. 5.5m a year for a pen arm that might be a few runs above replacement. I'm ambivalent.

[jerb]

 

Ben Nicholson-Smith

@bnicholsonsmith

 

Terms on Garcia deal, per source

 

$1M signing bonus

‘22 $4M

‘23 $5M

‘24 vesting/club option. Vests at $6 million w/ 110 total IP or 110 total games from ‘22-‘23 or 60 innings or games in ‘23

 

Otherwise it’s a $5M club option, $1M buyout

 

250k bonuses for 50 innings, 55 IP, 60 IP

 

Ben Nicholson-Smith

@bnicholsonsmith

 

Heard Garcia also had a multi-year offer that would have paid him more but he preferred #BlueJays, believing they can win

[G-Snarls]

11:07PM: The 2024 option has a vesting element, as per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter links). The Jays have a $5MM club option for 2024 with a $1MM buyout, but that third year becomes guaranteed at $6MM if Garcia tosses 60 innings or makes 60 appearances in 2023, or if he pitches at least 110 innings or 110 appearances in 2022-23 combined.

 

Garcia will receive a $1MM signing bonus, a $4MM salary in 2022, and $5MM in 2023. Garcia also receives a $250K bonus if he hits the 50-inning mark, and other $250K bonuses at the 55-inning and 60-inning thresholds. An unknown team offered Garcia a more lucrative multi-year deal, Nicholson-Smith writes, but the reliever rejected that deal in order to join a Blue Jays club that looks to be closer to contending.

[max silver]

Meh. 5.5m a year for a pen arm that might be a few runs above replacement. I'm ambivalent.

 

Yimi Garcia has great stuff as he combines a 96 MPH fastball with 95th percentile spin rate. It appears as though he produces the high spin legitimately as he suffered no real decline after the sticky stuff crackdown.

 

With Houston he was worth 0.3 WAR in 21 innings. It appears as though they likely helped him make some adjustments as his strikeout rate increased quite a bit and his walk rate dropped as well. Extrapolate over an entire season and there's a good possibility he's worth over a full win out of the pen. That's a very useful addition to a bullpen in serious need of reinforcements.

[TwistedLogic]

8.5M AAV for Loup.

8.0M AAV for Graveman.

8.5M AAV for Neris.

 

5.5M AAV for Garcia.

 

Meh. I'd prefer they had just spent the extra few mils and went after one of the top-flight free agents with an actual track record. I'm not gonna be mad about this if they believe they see something in Garcia but it's hard to imagine that a guy who's been practically replacement level for seven seasons and was charged with 9 losses in 2021 (which sounds like he imploded a bunch in high leverage situations) is worth $5.5M a year in this market.

[Jays24]

 

Ben Nicholson-Smith

@bnicholsonsmith

 

Terms on Garcia deal, per source

 

$1M signing bonus

‘22 $4M

‘23 $5M

‘24 vesting/club option. Vests at $6 million w/ 110 total IP or 110 total games from ‘22-‘23 or 60 innings or games in ‘23

 

Otherwise it’s a $5M club option, $1M buyout

 

250k bonuses for 50 innings, 55 IP, 60 IP

 

Ben Nicholson-Smith

@bnicholsonsmith

 

Heard Garcia also had a multi-year offer that would have paid him more but he preferred #BlueJays, believing they can win

 

Damn... it's nice to be chosen over others.

[max silver]

8.5M AAV for Loup.

8.0M AAV for Graveman.

8.5M AAV for Neris.

 

5.5M AAV for Garcia.

 

Meh. I'd prefer they had just spent the extra few mils and went after one of the top-flight free agents with an actual track record. I'm not gonna be mad about this if they believe they see something in Garcia but it's hard to imagine that a guy who's been practically replacement level for seven seasons and was charged with 9 losses in 2021 (which sounds like he imploded a bunch in high leverage situations) is worth $5.5M a year in this market.

 

I'll be very surprised if Garcia is the only bullpen addition this offseason. Hopefully he's not the higher profile addition if more signings are to come.

 

His high leverage numbers are not great (4.37 FIP in 21.2 innings, but LOB is absurdly low at 36.3% so you would think his overall numbers should be bound to improve), medium leverage is actually worse (6.26 FIP in only 11.1 innings), and he excelled in low leverage situations (2.36 FIP in 24.2 innings). Hopefully he can improve his high leverage numbers, his contract suddenly doesn't look so good if he's pitching mostly in low leverage situations.

[Terminator]

Good velo, solid walk rate, and excellent spin rates. But this deal isn't exactly a cheap commitment for what he's been so far. So clearly the Jays see some things they like with him.

 

Seeing as it's a huge need and the fact that Shatkins deserves the benefit of the doubt in that they probably *can* find an extra gear with him I think it's a good signing. But it could easily turn into a 3 year commitment for a guy with a 4+ ERA each season that can't be trusted with a lead.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Meh. Hopefully it works out. Not a high profile guy but hopefully the Jays have a plan for him.

[Laika]

Garcia has been a K/BB elite at times. Should be such a welcome addition following the 2021 of Chatwood, Dolis, Borucki, etc.

[Grant77]

I'm not a fan of a multi year commitment to a middle reliever. He hasn't even been worth 11 million over an entire 7 year career (1.2 fWAR).

 

Surely we could have found someone comparable on the non tender market or on a cheaper deal like we have several times in the past.

 

Clippard, Axford, Oh, Hudson, Font, Phelps, Bass, Dolis, Cole. I was happy with all of those moves. Atkins has a knack for finding good arms on the cheap.

[Jimcanuck]

AAV seems high to us by maybe $1M? Pretty minor detail. The market this offseason seems more competitive than usual, so.

 

Jays sign a Chafin, McHugh, Tepera type, I'm happy with the arm barn going into 2022.

 

A flier on a Rosenthal, Yates maybe.

[saskjayfan]

Damn... it's nice to be chosen over others.

 

Poor Texas. No one will take their money. We have no state tax either!....um thanks, really I appreciate it, but no thanks.

[Carlos Danger]

I'm not a fan of a multi year commitment to a middle reliever. He hasn't even been worth 11 million over an entire 7 year career (1.2 fWAR).

 

Surely we could have found someone comparable on the non tender market or on a cheaper deal like we have several times in the past.

 

 

Clippard, Axford, Oh, Hudson, Font, Phelps, Bass, Dolis, Cole. I was happy with all of those moves. Atkins has a knack for finding good arms on the cheap.

 

He was a closer in Miami and had success at the end of 2020, 2021 to the point the Astros a playoff bound team went out to acquire him and mixed him into the late innings roles.

 

He is not a middle reliever.

 

Additionally, he has playoff experience in high leverage situations which is good for our team.

[BTS]

AAV seems high to us by maybe $1M? Pretty minor detail. The market this offseason seems more competitive than usual, so.

 

Jays sign a Chafin, McHugh, Tepera type, I'm happy with the arm barn going into 2022.

 

A flier on a Rosenthal, Yates maybe.

 

Please stop trying to make arm barn happen

[glory]

At first glance this does seem like a bit much given his history, but I trust Atkins with relievers. With his jump in velocity last season combined with K and spin rate this seems like Atkins betting on Garcia taking a big leap forward rather than paying for what he is. Hopefully he's right.