The Toronto Blue Jays added some depth to their starting rotation Thursday by signing left-hander Jaime Garcia to a one-year contract with a club option for 2019.
Garcia's contract is worth $8 million in 2018, while the 2019 option is for $10 million, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The option year apparently includes a $2-million buyout, and the deal also includes $2 million in potential incentives.
"Jaime obviously has had a very successful major-league career," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. "We're excited about everything we've learned about him. ... He's a consummate professional. He's extremely committed to his craft. He has stabilized rotations before, and will certainly be a part of ours."
After the St. Louis Cardinals traded Garcia to the Atlanta Braves in December 2016, he was moved twice more during the 2017 campaign: The Braves traded him to the Minnesota Twins on July 24, and he was shipped to the New York Yankees six days later.
Garcia joins a Blue Jays rotation that is expected to include Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez, and Marco Estrada.
Projected rotation
| PITCHER | GS | ERA | WHIP | FIP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Stroman | 33 | 3.09 | 1.31 | 3.90 | 164 |
| J.A. Happ | 25 | 3.53 | 1.31 | 3.76 | 142 |
| Aaron Sanchez | 8 | 4.25 | 1.72 | 5.74 | 24 |
| Marco Estrada | 33 | 4.98 | 1.38 | 4.61 | 176 |
| Jaime Garcia | 27 | 4.41 | 1.41 | 4.25 | 129 |
The 31-year-old owns a 67-55 record with a 3.69 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 185 appearances - 174 starts - during nine big-league seasons.
