Sox pick up 2010 options for Garcia, Thornton

The White Sox have exercised 2010 club options on the contracts of right-handed pitcher Freddy Garcia and left-handed reliever Matt Thornton.

Under terms of the deals, Garcia will receive a base salary of $1 million in 2010, and Thornton will receive a base of $2.25 million.

Garcia, who turned 33 Tuesday, went 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA (27 ER/56.0 IP) and 37 strikeouts in 9 starts with the White Sox this season after signing as a minor-league free agent on June 8. He made seven quality starts and allowed two runs or less in four of his nine outings.

Garcia, 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, is 121-81 with a 4.08 ERA (804 ER/1,772.2 IP) in 275 games (274 starts) over 11 major-league seasons with Seattle (1999-2004), the White Sox (2004-06, '09), Philadelphia (2007) and Detroit (2008). He has gone 43-25 with a 4.25 ERA (285 ER/603.1 IP) in 91 starts with the Sox.

He is the all-time leader among Venezuelan-born pitchers in innings pitched and ranks second to Johan Santana (122) in victories.

Thornton, 33, went 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA (22 ER/72.1 IP), 4 saves and 87 strikeouts in 70 relief appearances in 2009. He set career highs in innings pitched, victories, saves, strikeouts and holds.

Thornton ranked among the American League relief leaders in holds (T5th, 24), wins (T8th) and strikeouts per 9.0 IP (9th, 10.82) and limited opponents to a .217 (58-267) average, including a .208 (21-101) mark with 43 strikeouts vs. left-handers.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Thornton is 21-19 with a 3.71 ERA (140 ER/339.2 IP) and 355 strikeouts in 349 games (1 start) over six major-league seasons with Seattle (2004-05) and Chicago (2006-09). He is 11-6 with a 2.71 ERA (42 ER/139.2 IP), 164 strikeouts and 44 holds over the last two seasons.

Thornton is the White Sox all-time leader with 79 holds.