Luis Garcia: Everything you need to know

The Yankees signed Garcia to a minor-league contract Sunday, per the MLB transactions log. Garcia became a free agent in November, ending his five-year stint with the Astros. The 29-year-old right-hander underwent a procedure in October to reconstruct his UCL and repair his flexor tendon, which ruled him out for the 2026 campaign. Per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com, the contract is a two-year minor-league deal with a 2027 base salary of $2.25 million.

Garcia (elbow) was activated from the injured list and elected free agency Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Garcia has been ruled out for all of 2026 while recovering from elbow surgery. He may have to wait until he makes progress in his recovery before finding a new team.

The Astros placed Garcia (elbow) on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Garcia has already been ruled out for the entire 2026 campaign -- his final year of team control -- after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow in October. Having pitched just 34.2 innings over the past three seasons, the injury-prone right-hander is unlikely to be claimed by another club.