Who Is Rico Garcia, The Orioles’ First Offseason Signing

Pitching is one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the offseason, which ranked near the bottom in almost every important category. Garcia’s return to the bullpen is a strong first step for the team, but it almost certainly won’t be the only one.

Who Is Rico Garcia?

The 31-year-old veteran started the season with the New York Mets on a minor league contract, pitching 12.2 innings in eight games when called to the majors. Garcia’s numbers were respectable, throwing 16 strikeouts, only walking two, and surrendering seven hits. The Mets designated him for assignment, where he ended up with the New York Yankees.

After a second stint with the Mets, he was picked up by the Orioles on Aug. 5. Garcia’s strong season continued with Baltimore, throwing 20 strikeouts over 19 innings and walking six. He did surrender three home runs and 21 hits but left runners on base.

Before 2025, Garcia threw for five teams and struggled with an incredibly high ERA and home run rate. His newfound success could be pivotal for the team in 2026.

Why Is Garcia So Important?

The Orioles lost closer Felix Bautista to injury in August 2025 with a torn rotator cuff and labrum. Both injuries will keep the veteran completely out of action for 2026. It’s left the team scrambling for a bullpen piece while completely readjusting the rotation.

Garcia is not Bautista’s replacement, but he could serve as a setup man if his numbers continue to improve or remain the same. He holds a strong whiff and strikeout rate if his number qualified. The veteran also has a nearly 1:1 groundball-to-flyball ratio.

His numbers are largely due to his new slider pitch, which has been effective. Across 25 at-bats, he hasn’t allowed an extra-base hit and struck out five with the slider. Garcia’s revamped four-seam fastball also saw a jump in strikeouts and a steep drop in batting average.

The downside for Garcia is that he has issues giving up hard contact and getting batters to chase. His curveball isn’t great either, so we might see it drop off in 2026. His developed fastball and new slider earn him enough credibility to give him some reps as a setup man.

Fangraphs places Garcia as a middle reliever, which is suitable in low or mid-risk situations. If he does succeed, it’s a really good investment given the team didn’t blow even $1 million on him.