As White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez celebrates his 25th birthday today, let’s have a look at some items around the AL Central…
- Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters (including Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga) that Danny Salazar is “not going to be on pace where…we know when he comes to Spring Training, he’s not going to be competing to make our club.” Salazar missed all of 2018 dealing with shoulder problems, and underwent arthroscopic surgery to address the issue in early July. Francona didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of Salazar returning to the Tribe’s roster relatively early in the season, though the team certainly won’t rush the right-hander: “To force it with somebody doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Salazar and the Tribe agreed to an arbitration-avoiding $4.5MM salary for the 2019 season amidst some speculation that Cleveland could non-tender Salazar, though obviously the team still feels he is worth the risk as he continues to progress in his rehab. Francona had better news about Nick Goody, saying the right-hander is “on target to be with everybody else” in camp following a 2018 season that saw Goody pitch only 11 2/3 innings while battling elbow problems.
- Avisail Garcia “remains in the picture” for a potential return to the White Sox, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes, though not if the team makes a much bigger splash by signing Bryce Harper. Chicago non-tendered Garcia rather than pay him a projected $8.0MM arbitration salary in 2019. Garcia posted replacement-level production in three of his four full seasons with the Sox, seemingly breaking out with a 4.2 fWAR season in 2017 but then reverting to a 0.0 fWAR in 2018 while hitting .236/.281/.438 with 19 homers in 385 PA. Knee injuries could have contributed to this subpar performance, so there is hope that Garcia is a rebound candidate with better health.
- Twins catcher Jason Castro is on track for the start of Spring Training, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes (subscription required) writes in an update on the veteran backstop. 2018 was a lost season for Castro, who appeared in just 19 games before undergoing what ended up as a season-ending knee surgery in May, as Castro’s meniscus had to be fully repaired. The rehab process has proceeded as planned, according to Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, and Castro should be in line for a normal spring. Castro is entering the final season of a three-year, $24.5MM contract with Minnesota.
Uno
Dos
#freetrout
You should be banned for bullying xabial. I’m reporting you. Get a life old guy
Not sure how I’m bullying anyone, you’re quite delusional. Let me know how that works out for you in your future endeavors.
Btw, I’m 22, not sure what your definition of old falls under….
You can’t ban someone just for having a similar username.
This isn’t Russia
In Soviet Russia, you no choose name. Name choose you.
Da.
Avisail Garcia is most overrated player in the game. He doesn’t even belong in MLB and really hasn’t ever other than for a few months in ’17, and even then his BABIP was a massive .392 that year, not sustainable.
Most overrated? Pffffft. Be gone troll
Shut up imbecile.
To be overrated, people would have to say he’s good. I think just about everyone knows he’s not an above average player
On the other hand, the guy this article mentions as a potential replacement (Harper) is quite overrated.
Bryce Harper has a career ops plus of 139. What do you expect of him to be not considered overrated?
Do you have brain damage? Harper isn’t even in his prime. Please grow up and learn MLB isn’t always based on 1-year outcomes, you absolute meatheads aka all 12 imbeciles who downvoted my post.
Wrong! To be overrated, you do not deserve to be in MLB. Arguing over who is a minor star vs a major star aka Harper vs the rest is FAR more truthful than arguing that a Mexican Lg player (Avisail) belongs in MLB.
Pathetic showing, MLBTR voters.
i take him on thr Mets to a nicr 2 year deal..
Garcia makes us sad. So much potential for a Tiger. So much potential for a Sox. Natural Adonis body, little workouts? Probably because, even young, bigger? Stronger? Nope, each year, expectation, hope, and come for spring, flabby and slow.
Wish him better, because he could make fun good baseball…
Sorry, but he’s utter trash and literally always has been.
In Detroit, coming up, he’s called little Miggy.
When first saw him in batting practice, some days he’s locked in, his smooth swings produced loud schwack noise. Spray line drive ropes over the fences, all fields.
Then not locked in days, smoking and joking between reps, big BP pop ups! Leyland scratched his head!
Trash can’t make it to the show! Trash can’t have even one good year, luck? Yes? No? Luck for one game, week maybe, year, in the show? No.
Talent still young, smiles, has fun, just tweak, just fix work ethic, and maybe, maybe, All Star.
Duh!! Please Go back to You Barbie dolls because your not good at this
Sox screwed up by not selling high on Garcia period
yep
Agree, if he wants back it’s on a minor league contract at major league minimum. His off season are like mine, a lot of beer n ice:) with zero workouts. I’m 50 so I can get away with that
I agree, but I think if someone would have offered something decent for him he probably would have gone
Yeah, most teams could see that it was most likely a flukey season and didn’t offer quality returns. White Sox decided to see if Avisail was the real deal.
You win some, you lose some
Are you kidding? Nobody was going to buy “high” on Garcia anyway. He’s been the model of inconsistency.
In hindsight, yes.
BTW: How’s the Ellsbury deal working out, … in hindsight? How did it work out for NYY, not protecting Quintana on the 40-man?
I mean, in hindsight?
No emojis
So I will write out thumbs up for your comments
Says someone with absolutely no idea what offers they received, if any. Depending on what was offered, it absolutely could’ve been worth the risk to hold onto him and, in theory, let him use the first half of 2018 to prove 2017 wasn’t a giant fluke. Unfortunately, nagging injuries didn’t help the cause. They likely missed out on very, very little. Period.
He has been a AAAA player since Day 1. Fact.
We get it Garcia refused to give you an autograph and your mad at him.
Castro might be a catcher to pair with Austin Barnes this season for Dodgers. Don’t overpay for Realmuto with Smith and Ruiz ready to play in 2020.
Castro isn’t horrible as far as catchers go but he’s not even in the same conversation as Realmuto.
Salazar just strengthens out bullpen in June.
I don’t know. He didn’t play a single game last year and you’re sure that he strengthens our team?
I want to believe it but I cannot
I’ll believe it when I see it. Not holding my breath.
And it’s been addressed several times from Francona- he’s not an option for the bullpen! For a guy with arm issues you hope he can take the mound every 6th night not have him warm up 3 out of every 4 nights.
Yes, as of now, they are saying this, but I still think he comes out of the pen. He will be needed as we have nothing worthwhile and injuries will happen. Warming up three nights a week isn’t a relevant argument.
Hmmm, Garcia or Harper? Garcia…Harper? Anyone got a coin for the White $ox brain trust?
The coin would have to land on it’s edge for CWS to enter the twilight zone and acquire Harper.
BUT, stranger things have happened. For instance — on Sunday April 12 of 2009, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko hit back to back homers for the 300th homer of each’s career.
That is the best comment I’ve ever seen here, thank you.
My God! It’s like a women’s hair salon in here. Stop the madness!
Calm down. It’s Avisail Garcia.
Signing Harper would be a stunner. The Sox have probably got 5 or 6 excellent outfield prospects. Avasail will be released so the youngsters can play. Avasail is also still young and could have a comeback season somewhere. I will like seeing how the Sox’ pitching unfolds this spring.
Avi had a ridiculous year that nobody expects him to ever repeat, but I still think he has the talent to hit .260-.270 w/ 20-25 HR. That said, unless Harper signs with the Sox by some miracle, I’d rather they went after Pollock. He has a terrible injury history, but he can certainly be above average if he can remain healthy.
Talent? Yes, big time! In Detroit, the trade? We thought, No! Lose potential all star! All five tools.
Work ethic seems bad. Kind of a Puig like?
Think he could do amazing in Tampa where talent becomes performance, for some.
All five tools?? WHAT? Sorry but Avisail Garcia was never close to having all five tools. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look down a pitchers and willfully steal a base. His defense is average or below average as well.
Sign Markakis, if you cant trade or sign an upgrade over Avisail ” Viciedo” Garcia. There’s about a 1% chance they land Harper or Machado. If Yoan doesnt get better you wont be able to trade him either.
Avisail Garcia still has some value in 1 area; hitting lefty pitching. Career batting average over .300 with an OBP near .360. Obviously still has power.
He can be a team’s platoon corner OF to replace whoever can’t hit lefties. What would also help Garcia is if he learned to play 1B.
It’s quite the meteric fall to be relegated to be a part-time lefty only platoon player. Not a whole lot of value there.
Am I the only one who had to read that Francona quote four times
Minnesota could be so good next year, its just a matter of key guys coming back strong. Castro is very important to that pitching staff and sano, buxton and kepler all need to start playing big boy ball. It’s time.
Never underestimate Minnesota, and never presume to predict what the Baseball gods will decree.