LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 28: Luis Garcia #57 of the Philadelphia Phillies returns to the dugout after allowing 2 runs in the sixth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies can enjoy some new optimism around their season after a brutal start improved into a middling record by the one-third mark of the season.
The team saw a remarkable surge in the standings immediately after replacing Rob Thomson with Don Mattingly at the helm and now it seems likely to compete for a Wild Card playoff berth.
In a sign of just how accomplished the Phillies’ roster is in his season, closer Jhoan Duran earned the 100th save of his career after a win against the San Diego Padres this week.
“The bullpen picked up the baton, with Orion Kerkering pitching a 1-2-3 seventh. Brad Keller sidestepped a leadoff walk to Fernando Tatís Jr. for a scoreless eighth,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Lochlahn March noted after the game. “Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth inning and picked up his 10th save of the season and 100th of his career.”
Philadelphia Phillies Former Pitcher Luis Garcia Exits Contract
As the Phillies look to build on their recent bullpen momentum, with sights set on a deep playoff run, the team received an update on a long-time reliever who is struggling to find a consistent big-league home.
On Monday, Luis Garcia, who pitched for the Phillies for six years to start his career, cut ties with the Minnesota Twins rather than accept a minor-league assignment. After starting the year with the New York Mets, Garcia pitched in just nine games for the Twins before leaving his contract.
“Garcia, 39, has pitched 618 games over the last 14 seasons,” Leo Morgenstern noted in the aftermath of the pitcher’s decision. “The righty debuted with the Phillies in 2013 and spent the next six years of his career in Philadelphia. He then pitched for nine different teams from 2019 to ’26: the (Los Angeles) Angels, (Texas) Rangers, (St. Louis) Cardinals, (San Diego) Padres, (Boston) Red Sox, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, (Washington) Nationals, Mets, and Twins.”
Philadelphia Phillies 250-Game Pitcher Looking For New Home
Garcia has a career 4.20 ERA in more than 598 total big-league innings in that span, and that includes the 4.12 ERA he logged in 251 games with the Phillies, the most he has pitched for any single franchise.
But now as the journeyman looks for a new contract, he could find another big-league home soon.
“Even in his best years, Garcia was rarely a high-leverage arm,” Morgenstern added. “Still, considering his track record, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Garcia quickly latch on with a team in need of bullpen depth. Teams like that are never in short supply.”