Giants claim another Rockies pitcher off waivers, fill up 40-man roster
SAN FRANCISCO — For the second time in two weeks, the Giants have added a pitcher the Rockies booted off their roster.
A week after claiming starting pitcher Tyler Anderson off waivers, Giants’ president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi made another waiver claim and brought right-hander Rico Garcia into the fold. The transaction was first reported by MLB.com.
Garcia, 25, was among the most dominant starters in the Double-A Eastern League this season before struggling during a 13-game stint with Triple-A Albuquerque in the Pacific Coast League. The Hawaii native was a 30th round draft pick in 2016, but emerged as one of the Rockies’ better pitching prospects thanks to strong performances at lower minor league levels in 2017 and 2018.
Source: #SFGiants have claimed RHP Rico Garcia off waivers from the #Rockies. Garcia is Rockies No. 20 prospect and made his #MLB debut late last season.
— William Boor (@wboor) November 5, 2019
Garcia made his major league debut on August 27 and allowed six runs in five innings against the Boston Red Sox. The Hawaii Pacific University product also appeared in relief on September 17 against the Mets, but did not pitch again.
Garcia has struck out a batter per inning during his minor league career and could help the Giants as either a starter or reliever next year if he sticks on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason.
The decision to add Garcia means the Giants now have 40 players on their 40-man roster, meaning they’ll need to subtract a player anytime they elect to acquire a new player during the offseason.
The Rockies’ decision to waive Garcia comes as a surprise for an organization that does not appear to have the pieces in place to contend in 2020. Finding quality pitching has often been a challenge for Colorado and Garcia’s minor league track record suggests he might be capable of succeeding in the majors if given an extended opportunity.
Outside of a rough transition from college to the pros in 2016 and a poor second half with Triple-A Albuquerque, Garcia has demonstrated a consistent ability to command his pitches while producing a high volume of strikeouts.