It didn’t take long for the Toronto Blue Jays to re-sign Yimi García.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man Roster Review, where we look at the players on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. We’ll look at how the player performed in 2024, his season projections for the 2025 season, and any storylines heading into this coming season. In this article, we’ll look at Yimi García.
García made his debut way back in 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and signed with the Blue Jays before the start of the 2022 season. In his first season as a Blue Jay, García had a 3.10 ERA and a 3.47 FIP in 61 innings pitched with a 23.5 K% and a 6.5 BB%. In 2023, García had a 4.09 ERA and a 3.39 FIP in 66 innings pitched with a 28 K% and a 7.8 BB%.
Due to a vesting clause in his two-year deal, García was automatically extended for the 2024 season and had a 2.70 ERA and a 2.67 FIP in 30 innings pitched, with a 36.5 K% and a 7 BB% with the Blue Jays. Over his first 17 games, he allowed just one earned run in 18 innings pitched for a 0.50 ERA and a 2.44 FIP before posting a 6 ERA in 12 innings to end his first stint with the team.
Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Blue Jays traded García to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Jacob Sharp and Jonatan Clase, a good trade at the time that only got better with García re-signing with the Jays. With the Mariners, García had a 6 ERA and a 7.28 FIP in nine innings pitched before an elbow injury ended his season.
According to Fangraphs’ Steamer, it’s projected that García will post a 3.47 ERA and a 3.51 FIP in 62 innings pitched with a 27.1 K% and a 7.3 BB%. Another projection from OOPSY has the right-handed pitcher finishing with a 3.17 ERA and a 3.55 FIP in 62 innings pitched, with a 27.5 K% and a 7.9 BB%.
García became the team’s defacto closer while Chad Green and Jordan Romano dealt with injuries and Erik Swanson performed poorly. Hopefully, with the depth the Blue Jays have built up in the bullpen this off-season, they can avoid that scenario. Even then, García has the perfect opportunity to be used as a high-leverage reliever alongside Chad Green.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.