It didn’t take long for the second most coveted free agent starting pitcher to sign after the Masahiro Tanaka signed with the Yankees yesterday for seven years and $155 million dollars.
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers have signed free agent pitcher Matt Garza to a 4 year deal worth $52 million dollars. More details will be added to the story as they become available and the final numbers are announced.
Garza split last season between the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. He pitched to a combined 10-6 record with a 3.82 ERA in 24 starts which covered 155.1 innings (over 6.1 innings per start). He will be 30 years old for the entire 2014 season and is 67-67 with a 3.84 ERA in 6 full big league seasons with two half seasons at the beginning of his career.
Rosenthal also reported today that the Tampa Bay Rays have signed closer Grant Balfour. No terms have been reported as of yet. The story will be updated as details emerge.
Balfour, who is from Australia, will be 36 the entire 2014 season having pitched to a 2.59 ERA in 65 appearances with 38 saves in 2013. Career wise he has a 3.27 ERA over 10 big league seasons. Since 2010, he hasn’t posed an ERA higher than 2.59 or less than 57 appearances, each season striking out at least 8 batters per nine.
