In one night, Jaime Garcia proved his worth to the Yankees

If the shoe was on the other foot, and the Yankees had traded Jaime Garcia to the Twins only to be stifled by him soon after, in midst of a playoff race, you’d be up in arms.

Six days. That’s how long Jaime Garcia spent as a member of the Minnesota Twins before being dealt to the Yankees for a pair of left-handed pitching prospects, Dietrich Enns and Zack Littell.

In this new age of fandom, where supporters want their club to keep each and every piece of potential, the Evil Empire was less than pleased about acquiring a veteran shooter who is set to become a free agent at season’s end.

But if Monday night’s 2-1 victory against those same Twins has taught us anything, it’s that besides from opening a much-needed 40-man roster spot with the trade of the 31-year-old oft-injured southpaw, is that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman firmly has a grasp on what’s best for this team.

While I fully understand that Garcia’s 0-2 record and 3.86 ERA in 35 innings pitched for the Bombers isn’t quite Chris Sale-esque, his Postseason pedigree and ability to throw a slew of breaking balls for strikes make him much more valuable than prospects who weren’t going to sniff the Bronx anytime soon.

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In a possible one-game AL Wild Card preview, Garcia struck out nine Twins in 5.2 innings (including five in the first two frames), before leaving to a sea of cheers from the 30,000 plus in attendance at the Stadium.

For the second straight week, manager Joe Girardi perhaps prematurely removed Garcia from the game, though, this time, the pitcher best known for his time in St. Louis, nodded accepting towards his manager as he exited the mound.

Following the win, which gives the Yankees a five-game lead in the AL Wild Card standings, Girardi told the New York Times he was super impressed with Garcia’s stuff, including a lethal slider that accounted for seven strikeouts alone.

“Jaime was just fabulous, an outstanding start on his part,” Girardi said after the game. “He had everything. He used his breaking ball very effectively, curveball and slider. He kept them off balance, was able to throw his changeup behind in the count. His fastball had good movement too.”

If Monday night’s performance is indicative of what’s to come from Garcia moving forward, then the Yankees will have certainly won this trade.

Next: Alex Cobb to the Yankees?

Keeping the ball down in Yankee Stadium is a key attribute that should not go unappreciated. Perhaps next time, though, the Yanks’ offense can put enough runs on the board early enough to allow Garcia the opportunity to earn his first ‘W’ in pinstripes.