The White Sox have requested unconditional release waivers on utilityman Leury García, the club announced. Chicago has formally selected the contracts of outfield prospect Oscar Colás and veteran infielder Hanser Alberto. The Sox also placed Garrett Crochet, Tanner Banks and Liam Hendriks on the 15-day injured list.
None of the transactions come as a surprise. Chicago GM Rick Hahn had more or less confirmed these decisions over the weekend. It finalizes the end of García’s nine-plus year tenure on the South Side. Initially acquired from the Rangers back in 2013, the switch-hitting García carved out a long-term bench role on the strength of his defensive flexibility. He never made a huge offensive impact but endeared himself to a few different coaching staffs.
García had the best season of his career in 2021, when he posted a .267/.335/.376 line over 474 plate appearances. Headed to free agency for the first time that winter, García returned to the South Side on a very surprising three-year deal. The Sox guaranteed him $16.5MM, seemingly committing to him as a versatile bench piece for the extended future.
That turned out disastrously, as García was among the worst hitters in the game last year. He managed only a .210/.233/.267 line in 97 contests. Continued struggles in Spring Training led the Sox to eat the $11MM remaining on his contract. They informed him over the weekend he wouldn’t be part of the Opening Day roster. Once he clears release waivers — an inevitability considering the amount of money remaining on his deal — he’ll be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.
Alberto secures a depth infield role in his stead. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, the righty-hitting Alberto is a high-contact hitter who’s best deployed against lefty pitching. He almost never walks and rarely hits for power but he puts the ball in play and can play throughout the infield. Alberto hit .244/.258/.365 in 73 games for the Dodgers last year.
Colás is one of the organization’s top prospects. He’s expected to see the bulk of right field playing time and is now positioned to make his MLB debut. The 24-year-old hit .314/.371/.524 over three minor league levels last season. Despite a relatively modest .258/.279/.424 showing this spring, he earns a look in the right field rotation alongside Gavin Sheets and Romy González.
No disrespect intended but shouldn’t Hendriks be on the 60 day?
I think he’s doing better than expected!
The most recent report said he’s doing extremely well in his fight and feeling pretty good, so Chicago wanted the option to bring him back sooner, if possible.
They only need to move players to the 60-day if/when they need room on the 40-man roster. And if they do need that roster space, the 60-day will be retroactive to when the player went on the 10/15-day IL so — if they don’t need the roster spot immediately — they don’t lose anything by putting players on the 10/15-day IL instead of the 60-day.
No disrespect taken
Hard to believe the longest tenured player on the team was Leury Garcia and he lost his roster spot to Hanser Alberto. Certainly explains a lot about the White Sox struggles over the last decade and a half…
As a fan, it’s been awfully sad to watch this roster be constructed. It’s easy to see when a front office is full of rich guys instead of baseball guys.
At some point in the season the Sox are going to regret disrespectfully showing Leury the door. Alberto can fill in in the infield, but Garcia can play the If AND the of. He can’t hit, but that’s where the Sox were supposed to act like a team and pick him up. When Robert and Jimenez go down for their annual two month IL break, an OF of Benintendi, unproven Oscar Colas and first baseman Sheets manning the OF should put fear into the Guards and Twins.
Garcia is terrible. Below average at every position and he was statistically one of the worst hitters in baseball last year. He had a garbage spring training and there was no reason to keep him around. Good riddance.
Romy, who was drafted as an outfielder, will play the outfield instead.
Like Garcia would have made any difference to ‘scaring’ the other teams in the division. Garcia was not an every day player either, and trying to say that Garcia was better than Colas a bit laughable, maybe in the field, but we was a hole in the lineup most days. Colas should do better. Sure its an assumption but a better one than Garcia being gone is going to hurt them.
End of an era.
TLR did Leury no favors in 2022. He played him almost everyday and Leury is just not an every day player. The three year contract was all TLR, so the Sox are moving on, which is good. Bury 2022 forever. I wish Leury well wherever he goes and I am sure he thanks TLR every day for making him a rich man.
Leury let go of? These.must be the end times!
The article is in error. RHP Matt Foster was placed on the 15-day IL. LHP Tanner Banks was optioned to AAA Charlotte.
Additional opening day roster moves per the White Sox: mlb.com/whitesox/press-release/press-release-white…
From now on we need macphisto to write stories
You gotta believe some team will pick up Leury and take a chance, when they get him for free and the Sox will be stupidly paying him 11M the next two years? He’s not a great, or even good player, but he’s not completely worthless either, unless 2022 was the new baseline for him. He hit .270 from 2017 thru 2021. I could see the Guardians, Twins, or Cubs picking him up for free while the Sox pay him to play, just to stick is to the White Sox.
I hope Colas is good at least, this team could really use a young player to get excited about, and who doesn’t get hurt all the time!
It was hard enough watching Madrigal go to the north side. I don’t want to see Leury wearing that ridiculous uniform that looks like something an infant would wear.
How was it hard seeing Madrigal leave? He was touted for 3 things when he was drafted; a ++ hit tool, great defense and and very high baseball IQ. In the 2 years he played, he showed he had a ++ hit tool, subpar defense and very much below average baseball IQ. Partner that with 2 season ending injuries in two years, and it was an easy pill to swallow. He barely even made the Cubs roster. He isn’t good.
Im guessing its going to be more the many teams will bring him in and have him sitting on the bench more days than naught. Which is nothing wrong, when you are not on the hook for the goofy contract the Sox gave to him in a moment of insanity by Sox management (one of many moments of insanity and desperation by this group). But Garcia is a guy you see once every 4-5 days and only that. Garcia is good when pitchers forget he is in the lineup.
What the Sox need is a Billy Beane type GM, one capable of building a team around a truly tiny budget by a miser owner. While not truly successful since he has not won a WS, it looks like he has had a team in the playoffs in one form or another 10 times since 2000.
Oscar “Coca” Colas has a nice ring to it.
Alberto keeps infielders on their toes! 32 walks in over 1300 plate appearances. Had a fine hitter s year in 2019
As the saying goes, What have you done for me lately?
Whatever the Sox do this year is not going to hinge on Garcia missing from this squad, they’ll miss Abreu for more. Not to say that Vaughn cannot hit, but really they will miss his bat as they are expecting Colas I think to pick up the slack, but when the Sox have Benintendi hitting third, I have little hope in the Sox chances.