Jaime Garcia

It was an interesting season to say the least, as Garcia became the first player in over a century to have three straight appearances as a starter for three different teams. The veteran left-hander was shipped to Atlanta last offseason and had a mixed bag for the first half of the season with the Braves, seeing a dip in strikeouts (6.8 K/9) and an increase in walks (3.3 BB/9). Following a one-start stint with the Twins, Garcia was traded for the second time in less than a week in the lead up to the trade deadline, joining the Yankees' rotation for the back half of the season. It was the second straight season in which the 31-year-old was able to avoid the injury bug, but the results were either about even or down a bit across the board from 2016's disappointing campaign. Still, there's enough left in the tank that Garcia should get a chance to slot into the back-end of a starting rotation wherever he lands.

Coming off three straight injury-plagued seasons, Garcia surpassed 170 innings for just the second time in his career. Unfortunately, the results were less than stellar as he stumbled out of the gate and had a 4.01 ERA heading into the All-Star break. Matters only got worse as he pitched to a 5.60 ERA over 15 games in the second half. His walk rate shot up -- to 7.7 percent from from 2015's respectable mark of 5.9 percent -- as did his HR/9 rate. In fact, his HR/9 more than tripled from the previous season. Due to his propensity for allowing baserunners and the long ball, Garcia failed to be a viable starter. He forced St. Louis to turn to their bullpen early when he'd take the mound, averaging only 5.4 innings per start. Although he struggled throughout 2016, he should be assured of a rotation spot for the Braves following a December trade. Garcia's headed into the final and most expensive year of his contract.

Just when it seemed appropriate to give up on him for good, Garcia managed to pull the fantasy community back in. He has never been bad as a major leaguer, but after a career-high 194.7 innings in 2011, he has struggled to stay on the field. When healthy, he's a good pitcher. He has posted a sub-3.00 ERA before — a 2.70 ERA in 163 innings back in 2010 — but immediately regressed back to the mid-3.00s, where he's lived for most of his career (3.31 ERA, 3.34 FIP in 724 innings). The gamble is on the innings count. There is just no way to have a good feel about what you will get from a guy with eight DL stints including shoulder and elbow surgeries. Everyone is aware of the injury risk so he'll be available in the later rounds, making him a worthy gamble. The upside is another top-30 season like 2015 and the downside is cutting him at some point before the All-Star break, like a lot of late-round picks.

Garcia's injury-plagued 2014 limited him to just seven starts for the Cardinals, after he returned from a torn labrum in his left shoulder that required surgery in May of 2013. In July, Garcia was forced under the knife again, this time to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in the same shoulder. While the Cardinals are optimistic that Garcia can return and compete for the final spot in the rotation, it's difficult to trust the 28-year-old lefty to stay healthy. He's totaled just 220.2 innings over the past three seasons with 2011 being the last relatively healthy season he's put together. The Cardinals have an array of options available for the fifth spot, so Garcia will have to return quickly and stay healthy if he wants to solidify his future in St. Louis.

Garcia had his season cut short in May after a partial tear of the labrum in his left shoulder required surgery. He should be ready for spring training in 2014, where he'll compete for a rotation spot. Garcia has never pitched more than 200 innings in a season and it's looking more unlikely that he'll ever be the quality starter that many had hoped. He's still just 27 so it's too soon to count him out yet, but his inability to stay healthy has been on the short list of developments that have gone against the Cards in recent seasons, after he signed a four-year extension worth $27.5 million back in 2011.

In a strange twist, four surgeons looked at Garcia's shoulder and the only one not recommending surgery was Dr. James Andrews. It might be a tough offseason, but the Cardinals are hoping that Garcia will be ready by Opening Day. Garcia started just 20 games last year and appeared to decline a little in ERA and WHIP, but his strikeout rate stayed right at his career levels, and he continued to show a little improvement in his K:BB ratio. His .345 BABIP might have more to say about what looks like a disappointing season than anything else. He may not look it, but he's still trending up.

Though his win-loss record and WHIP looked remarkably similar to his 2010 campaign, Garcia was far more hittable in 2011 than he was as a rookie. Part of that can be attributable to a bump in his BABIP and a drop in his strand rate, but it's possible that he just got tired out from an increased workload, as his second-half numbers (1.422 WHIP, .300 BAA) seem to indicate. On the other hand, his K:BB was an impeccable 156:50, so he learned to get by with other skills. Garcia is still just 25, and with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright ahead of him in the rotation, he won't have to face the pressure of being the top dog...yet.

Garcia didn't win the Rookie of the Year award, but he quietly put together a season that would have had him in the running most years, finishing with 13 wins, a 2.70 ERA (good for fourth in the NL) and 132 strikeouts in 163.1 innings. Not bad for a player who had Tommy John surgery in 2008. His WHIP was a mediocre 1.316, however, partially owed to his shaky walk rate (3.5 BB/9IP). He'll be third or fourth in the St. Louis rotation this year, and he could bust out even more as he’s still just 24.

Garcia, once the top pitching prospect in the St. Louis organization, is still just 23, but with a 2008 Tommy John surgery already under his belt, he's not the can't-miss star he once was. He started eight games - including four with Triple-A Memphis - and still showed the nice strikeout rate he had pre-surgery. He could compete for a rotation job in St. Louis. If he can get the walk rate down to pre-surgery levels, we might have something here. Don't forget him on draft day.

Going into last season, Garcia was the top pitching prospect in the Cardinals system. After breezing through six Double-A starts, things didn't go as well in Memphis, but he earned a promotion to the majors anyway. Unfortunately his season ended a month early with the announcement that he needed Tommy John surgery. He'll miss most -- if not all -- of 2009, but as he's only 22, he could bounce back nicely in 2010.

The top pitching prospect in the Cardinals system, Garcia was shut down in July after experiencing elbow discomfort. While the elbow problems should be a red flag, the Cardinals were extra careful with Garcia's special arm, and he should start 2008 fresh. In just two professional seasons, the 20-year-old Garcia has started 40 games and has amassed a 3.51 ERA and a 217:75 K:BB ratio. He'll probably be back in Double-A Springfield this year, but he'll be competing for a spot in the St. Louis rotation as early as 2009, if not sooner.