Will the legend of Deivi and Goliath begin tonight? Or will we see a Trojan Horse?

First, apologies for the "legend" reference. I'm not actively seeking to sabotage Deivi Garcia. But at this point, the juju gods have drafted their 102-page action plan, it's been rubber-stamped by the 15-member juju advisory committee, and the first district juju authority has done what all authorities do: Authorized it. Though we don't yet know the fate of Deivi Garcia, it has been carved into memos and distributed across the juju bureaucracy. What's done is done.   

Tonight, you would think that the fate of the Yankees hinges on the pandemic-born wild-child, Deivi (or Davey) Garcia, who turned 21 in May and shouldn't even be here. In a normal season, he would have started in Trenton, risen to Scranton and maybe tasted a cuppa joe in September. In his last full season, he threw 111 innings at three MILB levels, with an unappealing ERA of 4.28. (At Scranton, over six starts: 5.40. Ugh.) 

But Garcia's numbers were always secondary. For the last two years, he's been the new "next Pedro," which is the Holy Grail of the Yankee farm system.

Ever since Pedro Martinez retired in 2009, the Yankee deep state has obsessively brought forth a cavalcade of "next Pedros." Luis Severino is still one. Before him, it was Manny Banuelos. Before him, Christian Garcia. For a guy who never played for us, Pedro has inspired generations of knock-offs, most of them disappointments. To be a certified "next Pedro," you need to be small - Joba Chamberlain didn't apply - with a fastball and a press agent - not in that order. Most came, felt pops in their elbows, and disappeared in trades.  

So, tonight, we will see the latest incarnation: Deivi Garcia, in his seventh MLB start. To be frank, he has only dominated once, his first outing. Here are the six starts:

As you can see, he's a typical rookie: inconsistent. If not for a solid final game, you could imagine him not making the post-season roster. But Garcia has a few things going for him.

1. The Rays haven't seen him. 

2. He doesn't walk many batters.

3. The Yankees seem to win behind him.

4. He throws right-handed.

That's the key. If Garcia forces the Rays to run a lefty-leaning lineup, and if he pitches into, say, the fourth inning, the Yankees can bring in J.A. Happ or Jordan Montgomery, with Tampa unable to make any more switches. 

In other words, a Trojan Horse.

Tonight, Garcia might be less the next Pedro than the newest Chad Green, the advance man for a lefty bullpen move. 

But I am not giving up hope. Wouldn't it be great to see the legend of Deivi and Goliath start tonight?