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Jon Garland has signed with the San Diego Padres, opting to stay in the Sunshine State for another year. The club may have gotten away with a bit of a steal here, signing the right-hander for just $4.7 million for one year with a $6.75 million option for 2011.

I don’t mean to make it sound like Garland is awesome or anything. He’s no strikeout machine,  and he gives up his fair share of hits. However, he’s a work horse who will give the Padres 30 starts and a decent ERA. (Petco is, after all, a pitcher’s park.) Besides, it’s pretty tough to ask for anything more than that for under $5 million a season.

Garland, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, left an 8-year career with the Chicago White Sox behind when he was traded to the Angels in 2008. He then went on to play in the National League, splitting up his time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Dodgers last season, going a combined 11-13 with a 4.01 ERA… which is not all that awesome.

“A place like San Diego was so appealing to me because it’s one of the few remaining parks that is a pitcher’s park, and the San Diego Padres are building a team around that park, with speed and good pitching,” the 30-year-old Garland said in a telephone conference. “It’s a place that I saw myself being.”

The Padres, who finished fourth in the NL West after recovering to a  37-25 mark to polish off the season, already have a staff ace in Chris Young while Kevin Correia would like to work his way into the front end of the rotation as well.

Garland likes the Friars’ chances this season, too.

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