Disastrous Red Sox trade deadline addition joins Dodgers on minor league deal

After a disastrous stint with the Red Sox after Boston acquired him at last summer’s trade deadline, veteran reliever Luis García will look to resurrect his career out west.

Luis García is headed to the Dodgers. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP

García has agreed to join the Dodgers on a minor league contract, according to Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton. The deal includes a major league camp invite. García will compete to join Los Angeles' bullpen but faces an uphill battle after the reigning World Series champions signed Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to fortify an already-stacked group this winter.

Needing bullpen reinforcements for the stretch run, the Red Sox acquired two veteran righties — García and the still-unsigned Lucas Sims — on deadline day in July. Boston obtained García for four mid-range prospects: outfielder Matthew Lugo, reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, first baseman Niko Kavadas and pitcher Yeferson Vargas. Immediately, the trade turned into an ugly one for Boston.

García had allowed just one earned run in 12 ⅔ innings over his final 11 outings in an Angels uniform and had a 3.71 ERA in 43 ⅔ innings with the Halos before the trade. He then allowed earned runs in six of his first seven outings with the Sox, including a five-run blow-up in a two-inning stint against the Astros on August 11. In all, he posted an 8.22 ERA in 15 games as a member of the Red Sox while missing a few weeks due to right elbow inflammation. Sims also struggled, pitching to a 6.43 ERA in 15 games while also getting hurt.

García is a veteran of 12 big league seasons with six teams and has a 4.14 ERA in 545 career games (4 starts). Both Kavadas (30 games) and Zeferjahn (17 relief innings) reached the majors for the Angels late in the year.