Garcia passes physical, signs minor league contract

The 31-year-old outfielder spent two seasons playing in Japan, where he hit a combined .281 with 34 home runs in 663 at-bats. This winter in Mexico, he hit .294 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 33 games.

(From a Phillies news release) Garcia last appeared in the major leagues in 2004, when he split the season between the Mets and Orioles, hitting .229 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 85 games. Garcia also hit .286 (4-14) as a pinch-hitter that season.

In 488 career major league games, Garcia has compiled a .241 average with 66 home runs and 212 RBI for the Dodgers (1995-97), Diamondbacks (1998), Tigers (1999-2000), Orioles (2000, 2004), Indians (2001-03), Yankees (2002-03) and Mets (2004). He played in five games in the 2003 World Series for the Yankees, hitting .286 (4-14).

Beerleaguer: Garcia has been invited to spring training, but was not added to the 40 man roster, which stands at 39. If Garcia were to make the cut, he'd become the first Mexican-born Phillie since Fernando Valenzuela (1994).

Comments

[GM-Carson]

I thought this already happened weeks ago and was hashed out on here...guess it just finally became official, like the Alfonseca signing.

[RickSchuBlues]

Funny, in that picture Garcia shows the same expression I did when I read the Phillies signed him.

[MG]

Haha RSB. Another chip in Gillick's attempt to corner the MLB market on players named "Garcia."

[chris]

Throw everything at a wall and see if it sticks.

[GM-Carson]

Or see if it sucks

[kdon]

booooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[kdon]

Evidence for said boo:

2007 AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection 281 27 74 8 1 10 34 17 65 1 .263 .306 .406

[Ace]

i dunno, kdon. those look like some PRETTY solid numbers ;]

[krub16]

Hard to bash signing him to a minor league contract. If he comes into spring training and does what we expect then you leave him down or maybe you get lucky on a guy that was suppossed to be a lot better than this. If they decide to keep him on the roster when he does not show progress that will be if a different story.

[Billy Mac]

kdon, Are those projections for Ottawa ? No way Garcia gets 281 ABs at the ML level.

[CY]

Here is some wishfull thinking...

Rotoworld:

Gavin Floyd would have the inside track on the fifth spot in the White Sox's rotation if he "comes in throwing like he [did] in the [Arizona] Fall League," GM Ken Williams said.

[kdon]

BM, those projections are from ZiPS, and they generally don't factor in playing time, other than averaging out a player's history. It's a computer projection. IF Garcia made the team however, I don't see it as impossible that he gets close to that number if there are injuries. Howver, I would prefer to see Garcia get ALL of his ABs at Ottawa.

I know it's a minor league signing, but the dude is just a bad player.

[Springer]

How could anyone complain about a backup outfielder/pinch-hitter with a .263 average? While not in the best company, that's better than rowand, burrell, nunez, or ruiz did as starters last season, and it's signficantly better than what bourn, roberson, or werth have put up in their careers. Aside from coste, he may be our best hitter off the bench.

[kdon]

Springer, you might want to look at the number to the right of BA - you know, on-base percentage - that statistic that is FAR more important. This is BELOW all of the players you mentioned, and is absilutely unacceptable for an outfielder.

[joe]

Yeh, lets see how Mr. Floyd does in an even smaller ballpark, against better hitters.

Should be fun.