As the final minutes before the 2024 trade deadline ticked away, the Boston Red Sox addressed their bullpen needs by acquiring veteran reliever Luis García from the Los Angeles Angels. The news was first reported by MLB insider Jon Heyman. García, a 37-year-old impending free agent, joins the Red Sox in exchange for four Triple-A prospects: Ryan Zeferjahn, Matthew Lugo, Yeferson Vargas, and Niko Kavadas.
García has posted a 3.71 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks over 43.2 innings this season, converting four saves out of six opportunities. Despite not being the left-handed reliever the Red Sox were initially seeking, García’s recent performance trends positively. He has recorded a 2.76 ERA in his last 15 appearances and an impressive 1.17 ERA in his seven most recent outings. This last-minute acquisition is a promising addition to Boston’s bullpen as they push for a strong finish to the season.
Red Sox acquire veteran right-handed reliever Luis García from the Angels
Just hours before trading for García, Boston added another right-handed reliever. He and former Cincinnati Red Lucas Sims provide veteran depth to the Sox’s bullpen’s back end. Along with Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen, many Red Sox relievers are either inexperienced, in their first year in the major leagues, or both, and these two experienced righties might provide them with in-game guidance.
García already has a good relationship with Andrew Bailey, the pitching coach of the Red Sox. In 2019, he was an Angels pitcher and Bailey was the bullpen coach. Let’s hope the two can collaborate to maintain García’s recent upward trajectory.