posted on Saturday, September 30, 2006 1:00 AM by Jim

Freddy, as he goes

There's not much more I can say about Freddy Garcia's Sox status after my post from last week.  Tonight's game proved to be more of the same, with Freddy turning in another excellent outing while the starters around him struggle and/or stagger. 

With Jon Garland and Javier Vazquez slated to finish off the season on Saturday and Sunday, here are your September ERAs:
  1. Freddy Garcia: 2.49
  2. Javier Vazquez: 3.82
  3. Jose Contreras: 4.40
  4. Jon Garland: 5.40
  5. Mark Buehrle: 6.67
So there you have it -- Big Game Freddy closes out the stretch run with an ERA nearly a run and a half better than his nearest competitor.

I don't think any pitcher provokes a wider range of emotions than Garcia.  He wants the ball in a big game, he regards lesser teams with indifference, he's a power pitcher with finesse stuff, he calls out his teammates, he can't hold runners, he throws 200 innings every year, and he'll finish 2006 with the most wins since his career year in 2001, yet the highest ERA of his career.  He may or may not rock the gangj.  He looks like he doesn't care, but when he's mowing hitters down, it's better that he doesn't get amped up.

Freddy's a lot of things, and I've criticized him for his less admirable qualities.  Still, I think it speaks highly of the big Venezuelan that the pitcher everybody wanted gone has persuaded some to keep him around.  There aren't a lot of people who saw that coming.

I'm still on the fence, and waiting to see what injuries or maladies Sox pitchers have really been battling through the season.  There's nothing that can be decided right now.  But whether or not Freddy should be the one who's moved, I can't say I'll be glad to see him go. 

Comments

# re: Freddy, as he goes

Saturday, September 30, 2006 3:23 AM by Gregory Pratt
The person to be moved will be the one we get the best offer for. We're not going to just give away Freddy, or Javier, or Contreras, or Garland, just for the sake of giving McCarthy a rotation spot. Whichever goes for Brandon won't go for something mediocre just because Cy Young is waiting in the wings with his teddy bear.

# re: Freddy, as he goes

Saturday, September 30, 2006 11:30 AM by Gregory Pratt
Also, I think Freddy might be our easiest pitcher to resign to an extension. He's not old, he's a stud when he's got his fastball (which he finally does), even without his best "stuff" he can grind it out and keep his team in the game. But I think he can be re-signed reasonably because of the Ozzie connection, like what happened the first time around, when we traded for him. Do we have that guarantee for Buehrle, or Vazquez?

It isn't as if our farm system is pumping out those stud pitching prospects.

# re: Freddy, as he goes

Sunday, October 01, 2006 12:39 AM by Jim Margalus
It's a given that Kenny's not "giving away" anybody.

Given that Freddy's publically said he's going to be traded, it's hard to say what he thinks of the organization. Also, Reinsdorf doesn't give deals longer than three years to pitchers, so that will be put to the test as well.

At any rate, I can't see Garland, Contreras or Vazquez being shipped since Kenny got what he wanted in their deals -- cost certainty. They're fixed costs, and at rates below market value. And Vazquez is worth more to us than other teams because AZ gave us $5 million.

Freddy or Buehrle will have to work out a deal fairly quickly in order not to be traded, because history indicates Kenny won't put himself over a barrel for pitchers. I don't see him shipping somebody he has control over for a pitcher who may or may not be there next year.