'Basically Another Closer': Yimi García Gives Blue Jays Bullpen a Weapon for Any Matchup

Yimi García glanced out to right field, watching Teoscar Hernández drift under a fly ball for the first out of the seventh inning. 

Nursing a one-run lead on Sunday, García released a short breath before turning in to face Marcus Semien. Tasked with the meat of the Rangers' order, García's heartbeat remained slow—he's been there before. 

The 31-year-old has finished 88 games in his career, has 15 playoff appearances, and was Miami's primary closer in 2021. The Jays already have a guy for the ninth, but García's experience and deep arsenal make him the guy for any other leverage situation.

"It's nice to know that if Jordan [Romano] is going to be our 'end of the game' guy that you have basically another closer that can go in at any moment," Toronto bullpen coach Matt Buschmann said.

After the 'pen blowups of 2021, the Jays prioritized adding new looks to the unit—Adam Cimber's sidewind, Trevor Richards' changeup, the velocity of Nate Pearson and Julian Merryweather. By signing García to a multi-year deal, they get all the looks in one.

With high-90s velocity and elite spin rates, García can twirl in four or five pitches in any outing, flashing a four-seam, cutter, slider, change up, and the occasional sinker. García broke into MLB with just a heater and slider in 2014, but in a baseball world where relievers are now asked to focus on their best one or two pitches, he's going the other direction.

"Every year I'm learning more pitches," García said through interpreter Hector Lebron. "So for me, it's the other way around."

The repertoire and command make him essentially matchup proof. Righties have a career .214 batting average with a .265 OBP against García, with lefties at .214 BA, .270 OBP. He has the slider to move away from righties, the sinker to miss lefty bats, and the fastball and cutter to mix against both.

"He brings an ability to get to all parts of the zone," Buschmann said. "You hear of guys being kind of horizontal guys or vertical guys, and [García] can do all of it. His pitches allow him to get above the zone, below the zone, in and out. Depending on what the hitter is, he has the weapon."

After falling behind Semien with a 3-1 count, García painted a pitch on the outside corner. The former Blue Jay hacked over the delivery, dropping a blooper out in front of home plate. García charged in, but catcher Alejandro Kirk handled the dribbler and fired to first. One pitch later, García had Corey Seager heading back to the Ranger dugout and the heart of Texas' order handled.

After 20 pitches on Opening Day, the Jays had Tim Mayza up and warming behind García in game two, but he didn't need any help. García pitched on consecutive days 11 times last year and said if he's asked to pitch every day in a week, he's open to it. It took time for Cimber and Richards to join Romano and Mayza in manager Charlie Montoyo's late-game good books last year. But after back-to-back clean leverage outings, the new guy has already joined them.

"I believe in him," Montoyo said. "That's why I put him out for the middle of the lineup and he got 'em easy. He got them out easy."