Garcia could offer lift

The best remaining pitcher on the free-agent market is not David Wells, but Freddy Garcia. The right-hander, who had surgery to repair his throwing shoulder Aug. 30, will step on the mound Thursday and begin the final laps to a return that should occur sometime around the All-Star break.

Garcia could have signed with a team last winter and received paychecks during his rehabilitation. But his agents, brothers Peter and Edward Greenberg and Chris Leible, wanted to follow the trend set by Roger Clemens in 2006 and 2007, and Garcia, financially secure, blessed that strategy.

“We felt it was going to be a better situation for him moving forward,” Leible said Friday in a telephone interview. “People are a lot more interested, and there’s greater need than in January or February. We’re hoping he’s going be a big help to somebody down the stretch.”

Garcia, who turns 33 in June, will soon invite teams to watch him pitch near his Miami home.

Garcia put up terrible numbers for Philadelphia last year, going 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts. But he tried to pitch through his shoulder discomfort. Garcia’s body of work displays his reliability.

Here’s one space’s list of Garcia’s potential landing spots, starting with the most likely and in descending order.

•New York Mets. They have an obvious spot for him in their starting rotation, even if and when Pedro Martinez returns. Garcia’s agents also represent Jose Reyes and Johan Santana, so they have a healthy working relationship with the front office.

•Atlanta Braves. John Smoltz’s short-term future as the team’s closer creates room for Garcia. With the 40-plus duo of Smoltz and Tom Glavine facing possible retirement at season’s end the Braves have incentive to go for it this year.

•Detroit Tigers. The veteran-heavy Tigers are built to win now, and their starting pitching stinks. Tigers third baseman Carlos Guillen is friendly with Garcia from their Seattle days.

•New York Yankees. Will Brian Cashman bid high for Garcia like he did last year for Roger Clemens? Or will he keep using young pitchers, emphasizing development over potential short-term gain?

•St. Louis Cardinals. If they remain in contention – and this wouldn’t be the first time a team led by Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan surprised people – this would make plenty of sense for Garcia.

•Boston Red Sox. They, like the Mets, entertained Garcia in spring training.

•Houston Astros. They traded Garcia and Guillen for Randy Johnson in 1998.

•Seattle Mariners. Garcia had his finest years in Seattle. But will they even still be in the pennant race by the break?