From ESPN/BPro:
Plus there’s the fact that Garland is a bona fide innings-eater, on pace to top 190 innings for the eighth straight year. Given the Dodgers’ and Yankees’ innings-cap concerns surrounding Clayton Kershaw and Joba Chamberlain — not to mention those two teams’ deep pockets — Garland’s presence would allow those two teams to pace their youngsters more judiciously, and at a salary those deep-pocketed teams could afford.
I have been generally dismissive of Garland, but he would not be a terrible option. As the excerpt notes, he is an innings eater, so he is likely to soak up frames and keep your bullpen relatively fresh while providing league average pitching (career ERA+ of 104). He also has pitched well in two career postseason starts, for whatever that is worth. He should come cheap in terms of players, and is not terribly expensive at 6.25 million for 2009. He does have a 2010 mutual option at 10 million, which would require a buyout of 2.5 million if the Yankees chose to decline it.
What do you think?
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9 Responses to What About Jon Garland?
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TIQ IQ
I think he is a decent option. He has always been overrated, but he can give a team 7 decent innings pretty much every start. I like him over Mitre.
As the number of alternatives shrinks, the Yankees may have little alternative. I suppose I would prefer to see Aceves return to the rotation over Garland, but since the team likely needs two starters Ace alone wouldnot be enough. But Cashman keeps harping on the team budget, and if that remains a key sticking point the money for Garland won’t be there.
He’s terrible, but his rubber arm could be useful. If I were the Yankees, I’d land him, insert him into the 5th spot and then use Mitre as a spot starter to keep Joba’s innings down.
Terrible is strong. Overrated, but not terrible.
Depends what the Yankees had to give up to get him. As a #5, I think he’d be great quite frankly. How many teams have a better #5 guy than him? But for the Yankees, who may arguably have the worst #5 guy (cumulative stats for all #5 starts including CMW), just about anything is better. Whatever happened to the Aaron Smalls, Shawn Chacon, Jeff Karstens, et al. guys? It was only a couple years ago when they were pulling one guy after another out of the minors to give a shot in the rotation. How is it possible that Sergio Mitre is the only option available? I don’t get it. I saw that the Sox signed Paul Byrd. Wonder why the Yankees didn’t consider him as an option.
I am pretty sure this is the type of guy Cashman thinks is available after the non waiver deadline and he is the guy who I believe is on the radar, the reason behind waiting to get Garland maybe to make sure the price drops by getting him through waivers and not allowing the Dbacks to ask for a Jackson or Montero who won’t make it through waivers.
See if you can find anything on this topic
SIZING UP A PROSPECT Miguel Angel Sano, a top shortstop prospect in the Dominican Republic, has played in games at the Yankees’ Dominican academy the last two days.
The Yankees are among several teams interested in signing Sano, who could command more than $3 million and has already undergone DNA and bone-scan testing by Major League Baseball to prove his identity and age.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/sports/baseball/07yanknotes.html?_r=1&ref=baseball
Well looks like it wasn’t garland it was Chad Gaudin? From the Padres? This guy struggles somewhat in a big ball park and was only on the Padres because he was released before the season by his former team.
I would have to think the Yankees would bring Gaudin in right away because he is a big league pitcher who has spent almost every year of his career in the AL except this past season, even though he has struggled this year and doesn’t have a good record in the least (4-10) he is clearly better than Mitre and can be a serviceable 5th starter so depending on who the PTBN is this is an upgrade at the back of the rotation and will allow more flexibility with Joba.