Jaime Garcia, Anthony Recker Traded to Twins from Braves for Huascar Ynoa

The Minnesota Twins announced Monday that they have acquired pitcher Jaime Garcia and catcher Anthony Recker in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league pitcher Huascar Ynoa.

Garcia is the biggest prize in the deal for the Twins, adding a veteran pitcher who has a 4.30 ERA in 113 innings this season.

The 31-year-old was in his first year with Atlanta after producing a 3.57 ERA and 62-45 record in eight years with the St. Louis Cardinals.

While he has had trouble staying on the field in his career—he has never reached 200 innings and is averaging just 16.5 starts over the last four seasons—he remains a quality starter who will help add depth to the Twins rotation. He also has playoff experience and a World Series ring, which could help going forward.

The two teams were close on a deal last Thursday, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press, although it apparently took the weekend to complete the trade.

Minnesota now upgrades a rotation that has had problems behind ace Ervin Santana. While the team entered Monday with a 49-48 record, the squad ranked just 26th in the majors with a 4.84 staff ERA, per ESPN.

Recker could also provide value behind the plate as a solid defensive catcher who hasn't gotten much playing time in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Braves add a young prospect to the mix in Ynoa, who was considered the No. 22 player in the Twins organization by MLB.com. The 19-year-old currently has a 5.26 ERA in the Appalachian League in six starts, but he has good size at 6'3" and a mix of three pitches.

With Garcia set to hit free agency after the season, the 47-50 Braves decided it was a good time to sell off their pitcher and get younger.