A veteran starting pitcher who won a World Series with the Houston Astros has signed with the New York Yankees on a minor league agreement.
Right-hander Luis Garcia has inked a deal with the Yankees, according to his transactions page on MLB.com. He’s spent his entire professional career in the Astros’ organization. Garcia missed most of the 2025 season due to an elbow injury. He elected free agency at the conclusion of the year. The righty is expected to miss most or all of 2026 as he recovers from surgery.
Garcia was a reliable member of the Astros’ rotation for multiple seasons. He tossed five scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners to clinch the American League Divisional Series in 2022. Garcia was tagged with the loss in Game 1 of the World Series after allowing a go-ahead home run to J.T. Realmuto.
Free Agent Luis Garcia Signs With New York Yankees After Leaving Houston Astros
Garcia compiled a solid 3.60 ERA with a 25.3% strikeout rate across 71 appearances with the Astros from 2020 through 2025. After a brief debut in the shortened season, he emerged as a consistent member of the rotation in 2021. Garcia delivered a 3.48 ERA across 30 appearances (28 starts) that season. He struck out more than a batter per inning while keeping his walk rate under 8%. The performance put Garcia in the thick of the American League Rookie of the Year race, but he finished second to Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 2022 campaign saw Garcia make another 28 starts with similar success. He posted a 3.72 ERA over a career-high 157.1 innings. The righty racked up 15 wins on an Astros squad that paced the league with 106 victories. While he did take the loss to begin the fall classic, Garcia still recorded a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 playoff innings.
Injuries would mar Garcia’s final few years in Houston. He went down with elbow discomfort in May 2023. The issue would ultimately require surgery, knocking Garcia out for all of 2024. He returned in 2025, only to immediately hit the IL with elbow soreness. Garcia came back for two appearances in September. He pitched 7.2 innings with a 3.52 ERA, then went back on the IL with renewed elbow discomfort. Garcia ultimately required Tommy John surgery.
Yankees Add Rotation Depth With Playoff Experience in Luis Garcia
Yes, the former Astro. 3.6 ERA in 56 starts from 2021-22 but he’s only made eight starts in the last three seasons.
He underwent a second TJS in September and will likely miss all of 2026.
While Garcia is unlikely to help the team this season, he’ll provide rotation depth in the future. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon are all under contract for the next few seasons. Beyond them, there are question marks among the veterans. Swingman options Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn will both hit free agency in 2027. Relievers David Bednar and Tim Hill are in the final years of their contracts.
Some combination of Cam Schlittler, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren is set to fill out the Yankees rotation in the coming seasons. Schmidt, Gil, and Weathers have extensive injury histories, though. Schmidt is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Weathers has managed just 37 big-league starts over the past four seasons. Schlitler is expected to be good to go for 2026, but he did miss time in the spring with a back issue. Garcia will give the Yankees a viable depth piece for next season.
Yankees Sign World Series-Winning Pitcher From Astros