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The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central and reached the postseason for the second-straight year. While the Brewers’ season ultimately ended with a painful meltdown against the New York Mets in the Wild Card round, the team boasted one of baseball’s top bullpens in 2024.
However, Milwaukee is well known for its aversion to spending money on long-term contracts. So the team is on the hunt for upside deals that will keep spending in check.
With that strategy in mind, the Brewers signed Deivi Garcia to a minor-league deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan on X. Garcia is a former top New York Yankees’ prospect who has struggled to find success at the big-league level despite possessing an array of quality pitches.
At one time, Garcia appeared to be on a trajectory to becoming an important reliever for the Yankees. He was named the organization’s minor-league pitcher of the year in 2019 and was the Yankees’ third-overall prospect.
The young righty made his major-league debut in 2020 and even pitched for New York in the ALDS that year. However, he was sent back to the minors, where he’d remain until the Yankees converted him to a relief pitcher in 2023. The Yankees recalled Garcia from Triple-A late in that season, but he only managed one appearance before being sent back to the minors.
The Brewers are taking a chance on former Yankees reliever Deivi Garcia
Despite posting a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 major-league innings in 2023, Garcia struggled in Triple-A, and the Yankees designated him for assignment in August. Just days later, the Chicago White Sox claimed Garcia.
He pitched well for Chicago in September with a 2.89 ERA in six appearances. That stretch earned him a spot in the White Sox’s bullpen at the start of 2024. But after struggling early, Garcia was designated for assignment. He became a free agent after the season.
Milwaukee appears poised to make some significant changes to the bullpen for 2025. The Brewers declined closer Devin Williams $10.5 million team option, making him a free agent after next season. The move has created rumors that the Brewers intend to trade Williams either during the offseason or at the deadline in 2025.
Garcia obviously isn’t a replacement for Williams, who has won the NL Reliever of the Year twice. But Garcia is indicative of the Brewers’ general approach as the team hopes to find value in a cheap but talented arm.
Despite reaching the postseason six times in the last seven years, the Brewers have consistently been bounced from the playoffs in the first round. Milwaukee last won a postseason series in 2018 when they defeated the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS. Since then, the Brewers lost in the first round of the playoffs five-straight times with a 2-10 record in that span.
