Avisail Garcia

[RollieTime]

Avisaíl García is one of those under the radar guys in this free agent market that I think could be a nice addition for a team like the Brewers.

 

Garcia hit a robust .330 in 2017, but followed that up with a significant drop in performance in 2018 while battling a hamstring injury and never fully getting on track. In 2019, he followed up his poor 2018 by hitting .282, 20 homeruns, and an OPS around .800 while being an average to above average right fielder. He would be a good and relatively cheap target as an everyday right fielder, moving Yelich over to left full time and moving Braun to first. It also gives Grisham a shot to get his feet wet and gives us a backup plan incase he never gets it going in 2019.

 

García is projected to only get a 2/$12 million contract and won’t turn 29 until midseason 2020.

 

One interesting note is that even though his career high in stolen bases is 10, he’s in the 87th percentile in average sprint speed. Tied with Cody Bellinger and ahead of Christian Yelich. For being 6’4 and weighing 250 pounds, he can really move. If he came to Milwaukee and was given a full time gig, I think he could realistically put up a 20/20 season and possibly push a 25/25 season if all goes well.

 

He could fill in at the top of the order or slot in as a solid 5 or 6 hole hitter to lengthen the lineup while not breaking the bank. Plus, moving Braun to first full time will fill another hole, allowing us to allocate resources towards 3B, a bullpen arm, possibly SS, and a starter or two.

[Eye Black]

I think Garcia will be one of the steals of this free agent class.

[MrTPlush]

First off he is not a base stealer. Sprint speed means nothing if you aren't getting good jumps. He has proven over his entire career he can't steal bases.

 

Secondly I guess I don't get it. A lot of people want to move Braun to first to sign an OFer and I don't see how that improves anything. We could just sign Thames who arguably is a better bat than Garcia and leave Braun in LF.

 

Braun - LF

Yelich - RF

Thames - 1B

 

Yelich - LF (improvement)

Garcia - RF (likely worse defense, maybe a wash)

Braun - 1B (definitely worse defense)

 

You are making yourself worse offensively and possibly worse overall defensively. If Garcia regresses this is really bad.

[RollieTime]

I love Braun, but moving Yelich to left where he won his gold glove and putting Braun at first would be beneficial defensively while also adding a guy that can cover some ground in right field who is an above average right fielder. So it would theoretically improve two outfield spots for $6 million.

 

Thames could hit 30 homers for you, but strikes out 35% of the time and is probably gonna hit around .240 for you. Braun will strikeout roughly 23% of the time at first, while adding an outfielder that could hit .280-.300, be a 20/20 threat, playing above average defense, and also strikes out 25-26% of the time. We become a faster and better outfield while adding a bat that is a much better all around hitter and strikes out 10% less than the guy he would be replacing as well.

 

Depends if you want more dingers or an all around better hitter, improved defense in the outfield, and a guy that will strikeout 10% less than the guy he is replacing.

 

Cain

Hiura

Yelich

Moose

Garcia

Gregorius

Braun

Pina

P

 

Sign me up for this! You could probably get Moose, Gregorius, and Garcia for $32-$34 million combined. Let Arcia, Shaw, and Guerra walk and you can put all the rest of the available money toward someone like Wheeler or split it up and bring in a good starter and reliever. That lineup would absolutely be better overall and much more consistent than last years.

[Jopal78]

When is the last time Braun played first base in the major leagues? Answer: July 23rd 2018.

 

The number of players who have manned first base since for the Brewers since Ryan Braun last played there: 8

 

Bonus Points if you can name them all.

 

I think it is quite logical if they've played 8 different players at first base since the last time they sent Braun out there, having him play 1B in 2020 is more talk than real intentions of doing so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWER: Kratz, Aguilar, Thames, Perez, Shaw, Austin, Nottingham and Grandal.

[MrTPlush]

He is not a base stealer and certainly not a 20/20 threat. His career is a 59% success rate. His career average, if he played 162 games, is 8 SBs. He would have to double his career high...that is bonkers. Is Yelich a 60 SB then?

 

PRINCE FIELDER HAS A BETTER SUCCESS RATE

 

It is also pretty generous to say Garcia is a more all around hitter than Thames. While true, it isn't like Garcia is that good himself. He has a high K-rate and a low OBP himself. I don't think he is balanced enough it is worth having a .780-.800 OPS bat over one that is .850ish.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'd much rather find a better everyday 1b option that hits rh, or at least someone that can platoon with shaw as a rh corner IF option. Then they could sort of platoon with braun and grisham in LF....Garcia is decent but not a needle mover, and I dont like the idea of counting on braun at 1b - wasn't that part of the concern with his back ailments in 2018 playing the IF? Now we want him back in there two years further along in his career?? No thanks

[Jaylyn]

With Grisham traded, this might work now.

[JohnBriggs12]

With Grisham traded, this might work now.

 

Makes tons of sense if you can get him for something like 2/$14 mil with an option. Could be replacement for Braun for a year or two after Braun leaves/retires assuming he produces around .800 OPS level as semi regular. He made $3.5 million on a one year deal with Rays.

[reillymcshane]

I remember watching García when he was with the White Sox. What I always remembered was how bad he was in the outfield. However, metrics aren't necessarily as bad as I remember him.

[iKezims]

Bumping with this rumor/report from Twitter:

 

[mattyo]

Would not hate this move at all. Doubt he's looking at any crazy length/AAV, yet he is only 28. Maybe 3/$24 mil?

[SRB]

Garcia was a beast back in 2017: .330/.380/.506/.886. Still only 28. His defense in RF is average to above average.

 

I like the add if true, though is Braun the everyday 1B or do we have a very fancy fourth outfielder tandem?

[Oxy]

This would be a great value add. Sign Thames for something reasonable and then the holes are down to 3B and starting pitching with lots of cash still available.

[ntretts]

Would love this addition, but it's another right-handed bat in an already righty-dominated lineup. Have to think Stearns will pick up 1-2 lefty bats pretty soon

[PeaveyFury]

Absolutely love this signing, if legit. You'd assume Braun was basically guaranteed to be the 1B, I'd think....

[Oxy]

Would love this addition, but it's another right-handed bat in an already righty-dominated lineup. Have to think Stearns will pick up 1-2 lefty bats pretty soon

 

Narvaez is a lefty, which helps, but you are correct that they need another lefty, preferably a power stick (like Thames), then maybe a utility switch hitter like Jed Lowrie, then get the best 3rd basemen you can get.

[RollieTime]

I sure hope this is legit. Looks like he’s possibly a radio broadcaster for ESPN Deportes?

 

Garcia is one of those guys that could really be a great under the radar signing. Nice right handed bat that hits lefties well, plays good defense, and has some pop.

 

He would be a nice bat for the 5 or 6 hole next to Narvaez.

 

CF Cain

2B Hiura

LF Yelich

3B

C Narvaez

RF Garcia

1B Braun

SS Urias

P

 

I love the makeup of this lineup. I just hope we still do something about adding another middle of the order bat to protect Yelich. Even if you flip Yelich and Hiura, we still lack that 4 hole hitter. The only other idea I have would be to put Urias at the top of the lineup with Cain, dropping Yelich to third and Hiura hitting cleanup.

 

This lineup will sure score a lot of runs. It sure would be nice to have Castellanos for first, make him the cleanup hitter, and have Garcia as the 4th outfielder that will get ~400 at bats filling in for Braun and Cain and getting in the lineup during interleague games.

[adambr2]

Absolutely love this signing, if legit. You'd assume Braun was basically guaranteed to be the 1B, I'd think....

 

I guess things can change, but Counsell has said that Braun won't be the everyday 1B un 2020.

[PeaveyFury]

Absolutely love this signing, if legit. You'd assume Braun was basically guaranteed to be the 1B, I'd think....

 

I guess things can change, but Counsell has said that Braun won't be the everyday 1B un 2020.

 

It's possible Counsell doesn't know the final makeup of the roster

 

It's also possible that Braun WON'T be an everyday player in 2020...

[RollieTime]

Absolutely love this signing, if legit. You'd assume Braun was basically guaranteed to be the 1B, I'd think....

 

I guess things can change, but Counsell has said that Braun won't be the everyday 1B un 2020.

 

It's possible Counsell doesn't know the final makeup of the roster

 

It's also possible that Braun WON'T be an everyday player in 2020...

 

Even if Braun stays healthy, he will probably only start 110-115 games. Getting a more competent hitter like Garcia to fill in those other ~50 or so games for Braun, plus filling in for Cain and Yelich, he could still find himself starting 80-100 games for us. He will get his at bats and find his footing with us.

[pacopete4]

This guy is about league average for a corner OF. He’ll help bridge the gap with starts missed between Braun, Cain, and even Yelich. Leaves Gamel as a 5th OF / PH which is probably what he should be. Good depth is always nice.

[MrTPlush]

Not sure how I’d feel about this. At minimum we better be getting 2019 García. Anything worse is going to be real crummy, especially if this is requiring decent money on a multi year deal.

 

He just has very little track record and probably is just a guy in the line up. Not good...not bad. Of course people will dream of 2017 García, but pretty unlikely.

 

We could have had Thames/Braun. Is this really better? I’m not so sure. This puts a lot of pressure on Braun to be good at 1B and to be honest it was not very good the first time.

 

Wonder if García may be able to bounce around between the OF and 1B. Possible platoon with a LHB at 1B. This move is very meh to me at face value if it ends up true. I guess I see it unlikely García pushes Braun to 1B for the majority of the time...gotta be getting something better than that for 1B. Because it just seems we could do better than García in the OF and Braun at 1B.

[pacopete4]

Braun loves pressure. Eats pressure for breakfast.

[Eye Black]

He is 250lbs (probably a little more) and has the exact same 90ft sprint speed as Lorenzo Cain.

 

Edit: At the Statcast link you can watch a virtual race between the two.