Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia has decided to retire at the age of 39 after making one final start for Venezuela in the Caribbean Series on Sunday.

According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, Garcia will attempt to lead Venezuela to victory in the championship game against Mexico before hanging up his cleats. 

Venezuela manager Eddie Perez told Sanchez Garcia’s final game only adds an extra layer of intrigue on top of his team competing for a Caribbean Series title:

Venezuelan fans are expecting something good from Freddy and so is everybody. Knowing that it’s his last game is going to make it very special. We all hope he pitches a really good game so he can retire in a good way and bring the title for Venezuela. Everybody who is rooting for Venezuela expects him to do well.

Perez also left no doubt Garcia is the man he wants on the mound in this spot, calling him “the right guy at the right time” because of his experience in big games during his MLB career. 

Garcia played for seven teams during his 15-year professional career, posting a 156-108 record with a 4.15 ERA and 1,621 strikeouts in 2,264 innings.

Garcia’s best season came in 2001 as part of the Seattle Mariners team that tied an MLB record with 116 wins. He threw a league-leading 238.2 innings with an 18-6 record, 3.05 ERA, 163 strikeouts and finished third in American League Cy Young voting. 

The two-time All-Star also won a World Series title in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Houston Astros in the series-clincher. 

Garcia last pitched in the big leagues during the 2013 season with the Atlanta Braves. He was never a superstar during his playing days but provided tremendous value because of his ability to eat innings and toss an occasional gem, as he did for the White Sox. 

Even though Garcia was unable to catch on with an MLB team in the last two years, he’s picked a great moment to end his career and will have one more opportunity to shine on the mound.

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