December 22, 200322 yr The Seattle Mariners agreed to a $6,875,000, one-year contract with right-hander Freddy Garcia on Saturday night, retaining the services of the workhorse of one of baseball's best rotations. Garcia has been the subject of trade talks going back into the season. ``As of today, he'd be in the rotation and an important part of the rotation, but I'm not afraid to move anybody to improve the club,'' general manager Bill Bavasi said. ``By our signing, this signals that this guy is pretty darn important.'' The team faced a Saturday 9 p.m. deadline for offering the 27-year-old Garcia a contract. If Seattle didn't offer a contract, he would have become a free agent, and if he remained on the roster as an unsigned player, the two-time All-Star would have been eligible for salary arbitration. Garcia also made $6,875,000 this year after winning in arbitration.
December 22, 200322 yr ``As of today, he'd be in the rotation and an important part of the rotation, but I'm not afraid to move anybody to improve the club,'' general manager Bill Bavasi said. ``By our signing, this signals that this guy is pretty darn important.'' That says all you need to know right there. They just didn't want him to get away without getting anything in return.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.