Yankees offer Freddy Garcia salary arbitration

The Yankees offered salary arbitration to free-agent righthander Freddy Garcia Wednesday, ensuring draft compensation if Garcia ultimately signs with another team. But the move also strengthens the likelihood that Garcia will return to the Yankees for 2012.

Garcia, 35, came to the Yankees last winter on a minor-league contract and proceeded to be a pleasant surprise, posting a 3.62 ERA in 1462/3 innings. He also served as a clubhouse leader.

As a Type B free agent, Garcia would leave the Yankees with a "sandwich" pick -- between the first and second rounds -- in the 2012 amateur draft if he departs for another major-league club.

However, Garcia, who made a base salary of $1.5 million and another $1.85 million in bonuses based on games started in 2011 -- for a total of $3.35 million -- might just agree to arbitration with the Yankees, the deadline for which is midnight on the night of Nov. 30. Such a decision would lock in Garcia and the Yankees for a non-guaranteed contract for 2012. Garcia's salary would be determined through the arbitration process, unless the two sides could agree to terms prior to a February hearing.

At the least, the arbitration offer would give Garcia leverage to get a deal done with the Yankees over the next week -- unless Garcia already has agreed to turn down arbitration.

The Yankees kept CC Sabathia in the organization with an extension, and that will very likely go down as their biggest accomplishment of the offseason. However, pitching -- most of all the starting rotation -- remains their priority. They have engaged in cursory discussions with the representatives for free agents C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson, and they have interest in potential trade targets John Danks of the White Sox and Gio Gonzalez of Oakland. The team also will consider Japanese righthander Yu Darvish, who is expected to be posted by the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

The club regards Garcia as a back-end-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Even if he were to return, the Yankees would still search for more re-enforcements.