The White Sox are dangling outfielder Avisail Garcia in trade talks, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). If a taker isn’t found, says Feinsand, the club may end up simply non-tendering the 27-year-old.
A key factor here is Garcia’s contract status. He’s projected by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz to earn a hefty $8.0MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility. With no future contractual upside — apart from a low-likelihood extension or qualifying offer — it’s mostly a rental scenario.
Certainly, the 2017 version of Garcia would be well worth that outlay. He broke out that season to the tune of a .330/.380/.506 slash and 18 home runs in 561 plate appearances. Otherwise, though, Garcia has never turned in a full season of even league-average offensive production.
Garcia was bothered by knee issues throughout the 2018 campaign and ultimately underwent surgery. That may offer some hope that his output was an aberration. He ended the year with only a .236/.281/.438 slash. Though his power increased (.202 ISO from .176 in 2017), his strikeout rate bumped up (to 26.5% from 19.8%) and his on-base percentage plummeted with his BABIP (which fell to .271 from a whopping .392).
Teams will need to decide whether to stake a bet on Garcia. Of course, the White Sox seem about as well-situated as any club to do so. While the team hopes to move forward in the standings, a short-term risk of this kind isn’t a bad strategy to pursue given the uncertainty of the South Siders’ still-emerging core.
That said, there are clear indications that the White Sox have eyes for bigger prizes — including, of course, a certain young star who’d supplant Garcia in right field. Whether or not landing Bryce Harper is a realistic outcome isn’t yet known, but moving Garcia off the roster and the books would certainly be a piece of that puzzle. It also may simply clear the deck to allow the team to pick up a different veteran or acquire a more youthful player who becomes a roster casualty from another organization. Top prospect Eloy Jimenez is obviously also a factor in the corner outfield mix, though he has spent most of his time in the minors in left field and seems quite unlikely to open the season on the MLB roster.
Sox should get a haul for Garcia. 1 maybe even 2 top 1,000 prospects.
That’s more than you could fetch, pal.
Your mouth, close it.
Man 7 dislikes for a joke? MLBTR is serious business lol
They shopped him last year. They got nothing.
He was hurt.
Hindsight is 20-20 but after 2017 his value sky high but maybe they were asking too much back then? If they non tender him I believe they owe him zeroe$?
Garcia for Torres, Andujar and Judge!
Champ, this crowd does not comprehend sarcasm.
Great point about Harper. Sox should definitely sign him for whatever it takes. Machado too. As a matter fact, maybe Michael Jordan should grab a pair of cleats and stretch out the ol’ legs too! I’ve got more ideas, but unfortunately Jessica Alba is waiting for me outside on our unicorn.
To make the hyperbole even greater, you could say “with our unicorn”
Or “our unicorn’s hovercraft”.
Harper will never sign with the Sox. Bryant is pushing for him to be a Cub since they both are great friends out here in Las Vegas. White Sox have nothing to offer hin since he is looking for a quick championship ring.
They knew they were in rebuild mode. Why didn’t they trade him and Abreu after 2017 when there value was extremely high?
I don’t think anyone wanted to touch Garcia last winter. His 2017 season was extremely BABIP driven, and paying top price for the most obvious regression candidate in years would have been stupid.
He’s older, more expensive, and not as good. Which is prime time to strike a deal.
You don’t think they tried?
He is a depth piece on a MLB roster. Not worth more than a few mill/yr.
Indians should get him, just because…
I actually could be a very good retooling possibility or even the Angel’s could get some value out of him
Neither the Angels nor Indians can afford the roughly 8 million he is attached to.
Both clubs are even actively looking to unload salary to guys currently lining up in their OFs (Calhoun and Kipnis, respectively)
Considering the history between him and Bauer, it was a joke. Even if that were a non-factor, if they weren’t willing to pay Guyer $3M, they aren’t paying Garcia $8M.
Garcia has nice splits vs. LH pitching so most of his value to a good team would be as RH portion of a platoon. Considering what he’s on pace to make in arbitration, that’s not worth a lot in talent in return.
Non-tender. They didn’t trade him b/c the interest never got beyond kicking the tires. Everybody is reading from the same advanced metrics playbook these days. Platoon bat. Meh.
They’ve been shopping him for 2-3 years, and anyone who gives up anything of significant value for him will be overpaying. We’re talking about a RF with a career wRC+ of 101 (avg for the position is 106+) and below average defense every year of his career. His only season in 6 of above-average play was 2017, in which he had an unsustainable .392 BABIP.
He’s had one significant season of WAR (4.2 fWAR in 2017), and has amassed an even ZERO WAR in over 500 games played outside of 2017. That level of play is suitable as a 4th OF or possibly a starter on a rebuilding team. Problem is, he gets paid too much and has too little control to make sense for a rebuilding team.
Avi-sail sail sail away!
No shock here, especially with the White Sox linked to numerous free agent outfielders this offseason. I would be surprised if they signed one of those FA’s before the November 3oth deadline which puts some doubt into whether Garcia ought to be non-tendered by that date. If that scenario develops I would tender him and then keep trying to trade him throughout the offseason. If the White Sox are fortunate to sign an elite FA like Bryce Harper and find no takers for Garcia he could always be released for a fraction of his 2019 arbitration salary during spring training similar what occurred with former corner OF Dayan Viciedo a few camps back.
I think Sox should try to sign shorter deals for JA Happ, maybe 2yr/32mil Matt Harvey 3yr/33 mil, Cody Allen for 3yr/30mil & Moustakas 2yr/16mil.
Rotation of- Happ, Harvey, Rodon, Lopez & Giolito. Eventually in 2019 they’ll bring up Jiminez, Cease, etc.
1) Tilson- CF
2) Anderson- SS
3) Palka- RF
4) Abreu- 1B
5) Moustakas- 3B
6) Davidson- DH
7) Moncada- 2B
8) Castillo- C
9) Delmonico- LF
Bench- Narvaez, Engel, Sanchez & whoever til Jiminez comes up. DFA or trade- Avi & Leury Garcia and Covey. 120 mil for those free agents makes more sense to me. I’d love to have an outfield of Jiminez, Robert & Harper for next 8 years or so though.
You are nuts, if you think the white sox stand any chance of signing Harper.
I agree. Playing for the #2 baseball team in a city in love with the Cubs doesn’t make sense for Harper when the Cubs may sign him as Bryant would love (he and Harper are good off season buddies).
Palka is a dh not much of a rf. Delmonico is not part of future and Davidson is also replaceable
That would be the worst outfield ever assembled by the White Sox. Easily the worst defensive outfield.
The getting a nice return for Garcia ship sailed a couple of years ago. They’ve been rebuilding for quite a while yet hung onto Garcia? That’s on the white Sox. Ditto their first baseman.
It’s been 2 years. And he was hurt pretty much all last year. They weren’t getting a “nice return” unless he stayed healthy and had a strong first half last year, neither of which happened.
That loser group kept him this long, why not keep him thru the rebuild. Another one of Williams’ mistakes.
But how do you really feel about them?
He has to stay in the American League. Who needs a dh? Minnesota, Baltimore, maybe Seattle but doubtful Cano isn’t their dh of the future. How about something creative, Garcia and Delmonico for Cano and cash?
No reason for the White Sox to take on a large contract other than Harper or Machado.
I’d take a discounted Cano in a heartbeat.
Ouch! That would have to be for 10 cents on the dollar considering the White Sox are set at 2B for the long haul, a position where Cano’s defensive skills have diminished greatly. The only marginally positive influence the recently suspended Cano might have on the South Side might be with Yoan Moncada who was frequently compared to Cano as MLB’s top prospect. Perhaps Cano’s ability to make frequent contact at the plate would actually rub off on Moncada who figures to be the White Sox future third baseman with Nick Madrigal pegged as their core second baseman come 2020 or so.
Maybe you had 1B in mind for Cano with the White Sox. I’d just assume they sign a younger and more positively influential Jose Abreu to an extension to remain the White Sox first baseman beyond beyond 2019.
All hype not worth much & to think people thought he was the steal of a lifetime when Tigers traded him now those same people can’t wait for him to leave. Non Tender offer coming up!
Giants could maybe try him out. His type of offense fits SFs mold.
Only downside I could think of is OF defense. LF makes sense as a platoon with Shaw. As long as he doesn’t cost too many prospects, he could be solid.
Has the Gigantes written all over it & at 27, he’s a mere baby compared to the rest of the squad…
Hate to see him go and if you thought he was a mediocre to bad fielder wait until you see (and smell) Jiminez’s defense……