Yankees Offer Contract to Adonis Garcia (maybe)

By On March 2, 2012 · 15 Comments · In Hot Stove

Adonis Garcia, 26, is drawing interest from several Major League teams including, reportedly, the Yankees.

There’s another Cuban outfielder on the market and his name is Adonis Garcia. Several weeks after the Oakland Athletics signed Yoenis Cespedes to a monster four year, $36 million deal, Garcia is receiving substantial interest on the international market with a report surfacing yesterday afternoon that the 26-year-old athlete had received at least one Major League offer, a second likely on the way. While reports that the Athletics might be involved with Garcia have been , Jorge Ebro of El Nueva Herald indicated that the Yankees had a six year, $16 million deal on the table.

Garcia has been described as a utility player by some outlets, though this characterization may not be entirely fair. Viewed by some as a third baseman, others as an outfield, the Yankees seem to believe the later and given the size of the reported offer, one would be left to assume they view him as a starting caliber Major League player. The average value of the above deal comes out to about 2.7 million a season, far more than any team would commit long term to a fourth or fifth outfielder.

Scouting information on Garcia is hard to come by thus far. Baseball America notes that the undersized (5’7″, 180) Cuban is strong and shows surprising power and his performance in the Venezuelan Winter League after defecting would indicate as much. Still, Major League pitching is a whole new ball game and while he’s described as a good hitter with a knack for hard contact he got on base only 31.3% of the time in Venezuela and given his age wont have as much time to develop offensively as a player like Jorge Soler. Garcia is not particularly quick and his defense is probably below average, forcing him into a corner spot.

A somewhat optimistic projection would see Garcia developing into an above average big league offensive player and decent corner outfielder. He doesn’t appear to have the tools of a first division starter worthy of an eight-figure bonus, even with the impending CBA inflating the price of international talent over the next few months. Still, given the minimal information available about this player, I’m left to assume that such a bonus is an indication that the Yankees see Garcia as a potential impact player.

That is, if these reports are accurate.

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15 Responses to Yankees Offer Contract to Adonis Garcia (maybe)

  1. chris t says:
    March 2, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    Roller raked a few years ago in the cape cod league! I think he won MVP.

    Reply
  2. T.O. Chris says:
    March 2, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    From all the projections I’ve read I’m not thrilled. a 26 year old, 5’7 RF, who will hit between 15-20 HRs, with poor defense doesn’t sound like someone the Yankees should be prioritizing.

    Reply
  3. Eric Schultz says:
    March 2, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    The Yanks denied making the offer, for what it’s worth.

    Reply
  4. says:
    March 2, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    I’d be shocked if this is true!

    Reply
  5. Scout says:
    March 2, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    It just doesn’t appear to make any sense — the Yankees don’t go after undersized corner outfielders without real power. Gardner is the exception because of his terrific speed and defense.

    Reply
    • T.O. Chris says:
      March 2, 2012 at 9:48 pm

      Gardner has also never really been considered a corner outfielder by the Yankees. He was brought in and developed for CF, the Granderson trade just forced him to move.

      Reply
    • Alex says:
      March 2, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      It really doesn’t make sense unless they see something in him that Baseball America doesn’t. He’s not fast like Garnder. He wont play good defense like Gardner. He has some power but there’s no indication he’s more than a 15-20 home run hitter, if that. I assume either the offer is far less than reported or they disagree with the general consensus.

      Reply
  6. Siromaniyon says:
    March 2, 2012 at 8:48 pm

    He played 3B and SS mainly in Cuban League and few experience of OF.
    I think he should be used as a infielder(with utilities)..
    Why as a corner OF???

    Reply
    • Alex says:
      March 2, 2012 at 10:03 pm

      If he can’t stick at 3B, he’s a corner outfielder. He’s not quick enough for CF.

      Reply
      • T.O. Chris says:
        March 2, 2012 at 11:17 pm

        Legit question, how many 5’7-5’8 starting third baseman are there in the MLB?

        Reply
        • Alex Geshwind says:
          March 2, 2012 at 11:23 pm

          The last 5’7″ starting third baseman in Major League Baseball was Dan Buford in 1966 and 1967. There have been three such player since World War II.

          If you expand the criteria to include 5’8″ third baseman you get a fourth player, one who happens to be active and used to be pretty good, Chone Figgins.

          But yeah, it’s really rare. Hence corner outfielder.

          Reply
  7. Alex Geshwind says:
    March 2, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    The last 5’7″ starting third baseman in Major League Baseball was Dan Buford in 1966 and 1967. There have been three such player since World War II.

    If you expand the criteria to include 5’8″ third baseman you get a fourth player, one who happens to be active and used to be pretty good, Chone Figgins.

    But yeah, it’s really rare. Hence corner outfielder.

    Reply
  8. Michael P. says:
    March 3, 2012 at 8:43 am

    The only Cuban outfielder I want to see linked to the Yankees is Jorge Soler. Yankees will never pick high in the draft so they shouldn’t be passing on young talent with super high upside like Soler.

    Reply
    • Alex Geshwind says:
      March 3, 2012 at 3:41 pm

      Especially given the timing. After this year, all international players under the age of 25 will be subject to the CBA’s severe budgeting measures. The Yankees, as a winning team, will have very few opportunities to go after elite level talent at home and abroad. Soler is possibly our last chance until Bud’s out. I’d pay a premium for that. Unfortunately, I think every team in baseball has a similar reaction.

      Reply

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