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The veteran righthander has eaten innings for five teams. Following shoulder surgery last summer, Garland hopes to do it again in Cleveland.
Feb 13, 2012 - Jon Garland was once as dependable as the knowledge that the team that originally drafted him No. 1 in 1997 -- the Cubs -- wouldn't make the World Series.
Even while pitching for five different teams -- none of them the Cubs, who dealt him away in an ill-advised deal for Matt Karchner fourteen years ago -- he made either 32 or 33 starts for nine consecutive seasons, from 2002-2010. His total of 292 starts over that span was fifth-most, behind Barry Zito, Derek Lowe, Mark Buehrle and Livan Hernandez.
That's an instructive group, actually. Not really a superstar among them, but all inning-eaters, something Garland also did well. He threw at least 191 innings in all nine of those years and consistently posted ERAs in the low fours and WHIPS of around 1.3 ... the perfect fourth or fifth starter.
It all worked fine until 2011, when Garland, signed by the Dodgers, made nine starts and then had shoulder surgery, missing the rest of the season. At age 32, presumably fully recovered from the surgery, you'd have thought he'd be attractive to any one of a dozen or so teams looking for a starting pitcher.
Instead, it took until Monday to get him signed, and only to a minor-league contract:
Garland, who had shoulder surgery in July, will take a physical in the next week at the Indians' complex in Goodyear, Ariz. If he passes, he'll sign with the Indians and have a chance to make the club's rotation in training camp.
The Indians made a run at the AL Central title in 2011 before fading in late summer. It won't be easy to make a similar run this year; with the Tigers signing Prince Fielder, Detroit goes into spring training as prohibitive favorites to repeat.
But Cleveland has starting rotation issues with the uncertainty regarding the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, now Roberto Hernandez Heredia. Garland, if healthy, could be good for another 32 or 33 starts and close to 200 innings, which would certainly help take pressure off Cleveland's bullpen. This is a good, low-risk, high-reward signing.
3 comments
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Comments
Not a superstar among that group?
Barry Zito was a superstar for the first half of the last decade, he was one of the best pitchers in the American League.
I would also argue that Mark Buerhle has been seriously underrated. He has quietly put up a great career, with a career ERA+ of 120 and outside of his rookie campaign where he only started 3 games, he has not thrown less than 204 innings in a season. He isn’t flashy and he isn’t on the trendy team in Chicago, but he has been won of the best pitchers in the game over the last decade. Put him on the Cubs and you would have written 15 articles about how great he is, just in the last 9 weeks.
"You know when I'm done ranting about elite power that rules the planet under a totalitarian government that uses the media in order to keep people stupid, my throat gets parched. That's why I drink Orange Drink".-Bill Hicks
by Yossarian22 on Feb 13, 2012 5:05 PM EST reply actions
One has to wonder how an article can be written about Jon Garland
that mentions the Cubs twice, but never brings up the only team he ever threw more than 200 innings for.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
by U-God on Feb 13, 2012 6:19 PM EST up reply actions
I don't wonder that at all. I know who the author of this article is.
by South Side Expat on Feb 13, 2012 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
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