Freddy Garcia exited Wednesday's start against the Blue Jays after being hit on the right hand by a comebacker. Garcia walked off the field with a team trainer. The veteran right-hander allowed one run (a solo homer by Edwin Encarnacion) over three innings before exiting. He's currently competing with Phil Hughes for the final spot in the starting rotation, but an extended absence would take him out of the running.

Freddy Garcia held the Braves to a single over three innings Friday in the Yankees' 3-0 victory. He struck out two and walked one. Phil Hughes struggled Tuesday against the Pirates, so Garcia is making an early case to serve as the Yankees' fifth starter to begin the season.

Freddy Garcia gave up two runs and four hits in two innings against the Phillies on Sunday. Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer off him in the first. While manager Joe Girardi has said there's three spots open in the Yankee rotation, expectations are that it will come down to Garcia and Phil Hughes for the fifth spot.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York was told by a Yankees official that Freddy Garcia cannot be traded until June unless he gives the team permission. The Yanks almost surely would not have re-signed Garcia last month had they known they were going to execute a trade for Michael Pineda and signing of Hiroki Kuroda. With those additions, he now looks like one of the odd men out of the rotation, though he'll, in theory, compete with A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes for the No. 5 spot in spring training. The veteran might prefer to pitch in a rotation elsewhere, though.

Yankees signed RHP Freddy Garcia to a one-year, $4 million contract. The deal was agreed upon a couple weeks ago and is now finally official, as the Yankees were probably waiting until after the Rule 5 draft to sort through 40-man roster issues. Garcia posted a 3.62 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 146 2/3 innings with the Bombers in 2011 and will again hold down a spot at the back-end of their rotation in 2012.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that Freddy Garcia will earn $4 million on his new deal with the Yankees. Heyman reported Thursday that Garcia would get $5 million, but he's now saying that the right-hander will get $4 million plus incentives. It's a fair raise after Garcia earned $3.35 million in 2011 while posting a surprising 3.62 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 146 2/3 innings with the Bombers. The 35-year-old will hold down a spot at the back end of New York's rotation.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Freddy Garcia will receive about $5 million in his new one-year deal with the Yankees. In other words, Garcia will get a modest (and guaranteed) raise after making a $1.5 million base salary in 2011 and another $1.85 million in bonuses based on games started. The Yankees have yet to confirm the signing, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the deal is done.

According to David Waldstein of the New York Times, the Yankees are nearing a one-year deal with Freddy Garcia. Garcia was offered arbitration by the Yankees late Wednesday night after posting a surprising 3.62 and 1.36 WHIP ERA over 146 2/3 innings during the 2011 regular season. He's likely to see a significant raise from his $1.5 million 2011 salary. The Red Sox were known to have some amount of free agent interest in him.

The Yankees offered arbitration to Freddy Garcia. Garcia could accept the offer if he can't land a multi-year deal. He posted a 3.62 ERA in 146 2/3 innings this past season for New York and might be able to cash in on a free agent market short on reliable starters. But he's now 35 and stands to make over $3 million via arbitration.

The Red Sox have called about free agent right-hander Freddy Garcia, according to the Boston Herald. Garcia earned a $1.5 million base salary this season plus incentives while going 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA and 96/45 K/BB ratio over 146 2/3 innings. There is mutual interest for the 35-year-old right-hander to return to the Bronx next season.