According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have struck a deal with the Giants to acquire right-hander Justin Garza in exchange for cash considerations. Until and unless Garza is selected to the 40-man roster, the Mets won’t need to make a similar move because he was on a minor league contract with San Francisco.
Garza, 31, has spent portions of two MLB seasons as a major league pitcher. He made his major league debut in 2021 after being chosen by Cleveland in the eighth round of the 2015 draft. In the end, he pitched 28 2/3 innings for the team, with results that were about league average.
He struck out 22.7% of his opponents and recorded a 4.71 ERA (92 ERA+) in those 21 games, but he also walked 14.1% and let up more home runs than he should have. He was far more productive at Triple-A, where he recorded a 1.57 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, but even that performance diminished in 2022, when he failed to reach the major leagues and had just mediocre minor league performance.
He returned to the major leagues in Boston after splitting the 2023 season between the Red Sox and Angels organizations, but he had a 7.36 ERA in just 17 games. While his problems with the long ball continued, his strikeout percentage actually fell to a well below-average 18.7%, although his walk rate remained high at 13.7%. His performance at Triple-A was likewise unimpressive, and it’s not shocking that he hasn’t been given another major league opportunity since his last major league stint ended badly. He had a 6.11 ERA and 5.50 FIP in 17 2/3 at the highest level of the minor leagues this season, which is completely opposite of the strong results he recorded for the Giants in Triple-A last year.
He is now planning to go from the Pacific Coast League and join a new club in the hopes that a change of scenery will help him get back on track. During his two years with the Giants, Garza has developed his command to the point that this season he has struck out 26.0% of opponents while walking 7.8%. Despite his tendency to forgo heavy contact, he might be a good option for New York at the major league level if he can transfer those better numbers to the Mets system. Although the Mets’ bullpen has performed admirably overall this season, they learned that even the best bullpens may struggle for depth when injuries sideline A.J. Minter and Danny Young earlier in the season. Garza’s inclusion, along with other depth players like Colin Poche and Oliver Ortega, should help guard against that to some extent.
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