In a revelation that shocked approximately nobody, the Phillies announced that an MRI of RHP Freddy Garcia's right shoulder revealed rotator cuff fraying and possible labrum problems.
This development reveals two possible scenarios, neither of them pretty:
- The arm was seriously damaged when the trade happened, pitching this season exacerbated the problem. But most of the harm had already been done. The Phillies traded a stud prospect and a talented cipher for a lemon.
- A smaller, correctible problem was not addressed in the offseason/spring training, Garcia was allowed to pitch hurt, which made the problem much, much worse.
Even a superficial look at Garcia's 2006 season reveals that he wasn't the same pitcher as before. The strikeouts were down along with the velocity. He had gone from being a serious power pitcher to being a finesse and location guy.
So where do they go from here? The once six-deep rotation is down to fourthe hit-or-miss Jon Lieber, Jamie Moyer, and Adam Eaton, and the young Cole Hamels. Kyle Kendrick is not a long term solution.