From 9-to-5 to the 9th? Garcia ditches desk job in battle to be Rangers' closer

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Robert Garcia retired from baseball after the 2021 season.

He had just posted a 5.63 ERA in 48 innings of relief for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, an affiliate of the Royals, who had selected him in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Davis.

Garcia filed the paperwork and everything. He thought he was ready for life after baseball. As it turned out, he wasn’t. The left-hander was working a desk job when he got the call that more or less resurrected his baseball career.

He was told that the Marlins had selected him in the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He couldn’t turn down that opportunity.

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“It was three months that I got to taste what it was like to be on the other side,” Garcia said. “When things aren't going good -- I can't speak for every player -- but sometimes you think about [retiring]. That’s not a good spot for me, mentally, at that point in my life. I thought that was the best decision at the time and I got lucky -- very, very lucky. So now I'm here, and I don't take any day for granted.”

Just a few years later, Garcia has a chance to be a major piece of the Rangers’ bullpen plans in 2025.

Garcia, who the Rangers acquired in the trade that sent Nathaniel Lowe to the Nationals, doesn’t have the flashiest of numbers. But he has the stuff and underlying analytics to be a closer sooner rather than later.

“Obviously, it's a great opportunity,” Garcia said of the competition in camp. “I don't take that lightly. I see myself as a closer at some point in my career, and there's no better time than now. For me, it's just that there's things that I need to build on from last year that's going to help me be in that position. I'm a small process guy, and I don't worry about the big picture too much.”

In 2024, Garcia posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP as he set career highs in wins (three), games (72), innings (59 2/3), holds (13) and strikeouts (75). He ranked among Nats relievers in strikeouts per nine (1st, 11.31), strikeouts (2nd, 75) and innings (4th, 59 2/3).

He also ranked among MLB left-handed relievers in games (T4th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (5th, 4.69), and strikeouts per 9.0 (10th, 11.31), while limiting opponents to a .237/.288/.323 slash line.

Maybe most importantly, Garcia’s xERA, according to Statcast, was much lower than his actual ERA at 2.53.

Manager Bruce Bochy has said that Garcia is one of the main arms in the mix for the closer role among a fully rebuilt bullpen. Garcia doesn’t let those specifics bother him.

“I think every single day you come to the field, you're competing for a role,” Garcia said. “It's nothing different. Last year, I was competing for a role every single day I stepped onto the field. That isn't really something that really crosses my mind. I'm just trying to be the best version of myself. And I know I have the ability to be a closer. I have the ability to do it all. I feel very confident in myself. So I'll let that play out how it plays out, but I just know what I need to do to get ready and be ready for the season.”

The competition did get started a little later than Garcia would have liked, though. He was delayed at the start of camp due to nerve irritation in his forearm and has finally graduated to facing hitters in camp. He threw a pair of live batting practice sessions last week before tossing a scoreless inning in a “B” game against the Royals on Monday morning.

“For his first outing, he looked good didn’t he?” Bochy said. “He had the changeup, along with the good fastball. He looked comfortable out there, it was good to see him on the mound. It’ll be nice to get him going so we can get him ready and be on schedule for the start of the season.”

No matter what, Garcia is more than happy to be on the baseball field rather than at a desk job right now.

“Closing is definitely better than being out of baseball,” a reporter joked to Garcia.

“Yeah, yeah definitely,” Garcia said.