Billfer likes long walks in Comerica Park. Check out the 
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Jon Heyman is reporting that Freddy Garcia has agreed to a contract with the Tigers. Garcia has been injured for the last year with shoulder problems. He had surgery to correct a torn labrum and recently auditioned for teams. I have no idea what they’ll get out of Garcia, and I can’t really offer commentary on the deal until I see the parameters.
I do know that Garcia and Carlos Guillen were party buddies back in Seattle. But that was quite awhile ago.
Garcia to sign with Tigers - MLB - SI.com
UPDATE: It’s a minor league deal. I like it. No risk, no outlay.
Garcia’s deal is a minor-league contract that runs only through the end of 2008. It will become a major league contract if he’s promoted to the parent club. Garcia will report first to Class-A Lakeland. As long as he’s on the major league roster by August 31, he will be eligible for the postseason.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
So who loses their spot? JV to DL? Robertson release? Miner to pen?
Well, I hope they’ll at least offer Garcia a 3-year, 8-figure deal ASAP. With Willis coming back in September, the Tigers need to keep Lakeland stocked.
Anson, I have to think that Garcia would start in the minors. I don’t think he’s pitched at all anywhere in 2008.
The cool thing about Garcia is that he has 2 different birthdays.
Heard he was at 80-83 in his workout. The 9 or 10 teams interested in him went down to a minor league contract to pitch maybe three times for Lakeland. A possible September look. Sounds to me like they did Carlos’ buddy a favor.
This is how they will keep Verlander from losing 20 this year. Pull Freddy up if Justin gets close, and have him start in his place.
No risk. Not much to not like.
Willis is heading to AAA and starting friday
POSTSEASON? YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE POSTSEASON? POSTSEASON?
lol
Oh, Man i really hope they can get him to the majors before Aug 31 so they can add him to the post season roster. ha, ha. : )
I was there last night and I’ve got no explanation. Starts out pretty sharp, then when it falls apart it goes to hell in a nanosecond. Could he be ADD? Gets distracted?
This deal is a waste of time unless Garcia can pitch in the majors again and it gives us an edge in signing him for 2009.
Sheffield on waivers:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3532016
I don’t think it’s a waste of time. It gives us a closer and extended look at Garcia to see if he’s worth anything.
“Sheffield on waivers:”
Awesome. Thanks for posting that, Greg.
It would be nice if we could get out of Sheff’s contract. I hope someone wants him, but I don’t think we’re that lucky.
“I hope someone wants him, but I don’t think we’re that lucky.”
I think someone wants him enough to pick up half of what the Tigers owe him. Don’t ask me who. Just a hunch.
Not to ruin everyone’s fun, but teams put a lot of guys on waivers. Even if he’s claimed it doesn’t necessarily mean they would deal him. Teams put several guys on in order to hide somebody they want to get through waivers. From the article:
That said, I would hope it’s likely they would try to work out a minor deal with whomever actually wants him. Perhaps Sheff heard the boos last night, and after Leyland’s reaction, asked to be put on waivers. Maybe he knows some other team will claim him (TB? Boston?). It’s obviously impossible for us to know, but let’s hope it works out as we all think it might…
“Sheffield on waivers:”
Awesome. Thanks for posting that, Greg.
addition by subtraction…Great move……now bring back Clete and DH Maggs….
Exactly, perhaps guys like Rogers and Nate Robertson were put on waivers also.
Sheff on waivers good, at least put someone in there who will give it their all, not loaf and suck at the same time.
hey by the way thanks Sheff for two months out of the past two years.
…..other than that don’t let the door hit you on the way out
Sheff began the game hitting .222 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs in 75 games…… I call the platooning yourself
Can’t wait to see the Tonights line-up. Hopefully Sheff is sitting. The Tigers bench will be thin though with Thames hurting. Raburn sure has turned into an important player since Pudge got traded.
Don’t mean to burst anyone’s bubble, but Shef being on waivers isn’t news. The only part of it being news is that it wasn’t done on August 1st. Roberston, Renteria, Willis, Bonderman, Thames, Inge, Ordonez, Guillen, Fossum, Lopez, Seay, Jones, Polanco, etc. were probably also placed on waivers.
It is simply a procedural thing and doesn’t mean he’s being released. It only becomes a big deal if someone actually puts a claim in for him, at which point the Tigers probably woudn’t even try and work out a deal and just let the other team take him and his full salary.
Chief - can a player play when he’s on waivers?
Before everybody gets too excited, remember putting a player on the wavier wire does not guarantee that they will be claimed or traded. Also, expect Sheffield to be in the line-up everyday to showcase his “talents” to other teams for the next few days.
I think he will clear waivers, be difficult to trade, and remain a Tiger. Hopefully so desperate playoff-bound team will give him a try, but the Tigers will have to pay a huge chunk of his salary for this year and next.
Sheff is playing Today according to the WDFN.
billfer - so you’re saying that all teams put all players on waivers this time of year?
I realize there’s waivers and irrevocable waivers, but sources I’ve read over the years from multiple news sources have stated that teams will place particular players on waivers to test the waters to see if there’s trade interest. Then they let them go, or work out a trade, or pull them back. But I’ve never heard that they simply put everyone on waivers as part of procedure.
Sheff being put on waivers is the most exciting thing that has happened to this team in months.
He’s not being released or being sent on assignment. He’s just going through waivers. It’s good news anyway though.
Here is a quick refresher on waivers from one of the better baseball sites on the net:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....de-ru.html
i understand that a lot of players are quietly put on waivers, but why was sheffield’s being put on announced publicly today? why not place him on waivers with everyone else on aug 1?
Not all players, but many. Typically those with extended contracts teams would like to dump, or any players that may have trade value.
cool, thanks shane
Pitch Freddy in day games only. (used to be lights out during the day for whatever reason)
Sheff and Tampa, perfect together.
Nevertheless, Sheff is the #1 story for the Tigers right now. At the baseball front on espn.com, he’s one of their top stories also.
Things have really not gone well for this team obviously, but I have to say I’m pretty pleased to see the front office (and even Leyland) continue to try to make this a better team. They haven’t quit yet.
A salary at $138 million makes it impossible for the Tigers front office to show in any way that they quit. Talk about alienating your (depressed Michigan economy) fanbase.
Pitch Freddy in day games only. (used to be lights out during the day for whatever reason)
That’s just funny.
Lights out during the day. Yeah, that is funny.
Garcia has very good numbers at Comerica. What’s really amazing are his splits in the Game Outcome For Pitcher category. “In Wins,” he’s posted a very respectable 117-0 W-L for his career. Who knows how he’ll fare in Detroit, though, where lousy Chuck Hernandez seems to have no conception of the importance of scheduling pitchers to pitch “In Wins.”
Of course, Ready Steady Freddy compiled that 117-0 record before had his shoulder surgically replaced with Mark Prior’s.
Is that a vote of no confidence for Garcia, Chris?
it would be funny and cool if the 2009 World Champion Detroit Tigers dominant starting rotation consited of… hmmm, who do I leave out?… Verlander, Garcia, Willis, Galarraga, and…um… Miner and Zumaya splitting the #5 spot.