Luis Garcia -- Trade Rumors
Trade Rumors sources for Luis Garcia of the Washington Nationals
The Minnesota Twins agreed to a minor league contract with 39-year-old right-handed reliever Luis García following his release by the Mets. García signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal with the Mets but lasted only six appearances before being cut, accumulating a 7.11 ERA on six runs (five earned) across 11 hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Despite solid performance in 2025—a 3.42 ERA across 55⅓ innings with the Dodgers, Nationals, and Angels—García's velocity declined significantly with the Mets. His sinker velocity dropped nearly three mph from 96.9 to 94 mph, with similar decreases in his splitter and changeup. Though he maintained a 46% chase rate and strong swinging-strike rate, the Mets opted to move on.
The Twins' bullpen has struggled significantly in 2026 following their 2025 trade deadline sell-off of one of baseball's best relief corps. Minnesota's relievers rank 23rd with a 5.07 ERA and fourth-worst strikeout rate in MLB, while posting the third-slowest average fastball (93.4 mph) and third-worst swinging-strike rate (8.7%). The team made limited offseason additions: Taylor Rogers ($2MM), Anthony Banda (acquired after Dodgers DFA), and Eric Orze (trade with Tampa Bay). Adding García, who posted a 3.86 ERA from 2021-25, could provide veteran stability to address the bullpen's persistent issues.