Jon Garland
Photo: Icon SMI

That Garland is available at a price that's manageable for the Diamondbacks is likely a result of the sluggish economy a down year in 2008 for Garland. Last season with the Los Angeles Angels -- his first year away from the Chicago White Sox -- he posted a 4.90 ERA and saw an increase in base runners allowed and a decrease in his strikeout rate.

Given that, his decision to decline arbitration from the Angels was viewed as a surprise in the industry. In arbitration, he only would have received a one-year contract, but it would have been worth more than the $12 million he made in 2008.

Players certainly overestimated demand for their services at arbitration time. Garland's not a great pitcher, but he's not all that bad either. I would guess he'd regress more toward his mean in 2009. The problem is, that mean can't be all that good due to Jon's low strikeout rate. With that many balls in play, he needs a very good defense behind him. His real fluke year was 2005, when he posted a 3.50 ERA. He allowed a .261 BA with runners in scoring position that year, compared to .279 for his career.

This is a good deal for the Diamondbacks. Garland is a dependable starter who should be able to post an ERA in the low 4.00s. He'll come close to 200 innings, helping to take pressure off the bullpen. In the past, that's been worth well over $10 million a season and a multi-year deal. The DBacks should make sure, however, they have their best defense on the field when he pitches.