The Los Angeles Angels and reliever Luis García agree to terms on a one-year, $4.25 million contract ahead of the 2024 season.
García enters his 12th year in Major League Baseball, joining the Angels to slot alongside Carlos Estévez, Ben Joyce, José Soriano for manager Ron Washington. He’ll turn 37 prior to the upcoming season, and is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he posted a 4.07 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.39 WHIP with a .249 batting average allowed.
Spending the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres, García became a low-leverage arm after enduring a rough stretch. After posting a strikeout rate of 26.3% in 2022, that number dropped to 19.9%.
García’s step back isn’t a clear indication of career regression, and the positives with his ability to limit home runs is a huge plus in his game.
He’s the latest signing for Angels general manager Perry Minasian, who recently signed left-hander Adam Kolarek to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
What does Luis García bring to the Angels’ bullpen
In signing García to a one-year deal, Minasian opted to bring in a reliever who, at times, has been incredibly productive in significant samples.
His usage a few seasons ago with the Cardinals, and his transition to a high-leverage reliever, are of note. García has shown a keen ability to induce ground balls, still throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s with his primary sinker.
The Angels have an opportunity to find lightning in a bottle with García, while providing him with a solid runway to find success, perhaps becoming a valuable trade piece at the trade deadline. But if the club finds themselves in a place to contend, he’s been in a position to pitch in big spots at different points in his career.
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