Adonis

Garcia

The Athletics are willing to offer around $18 million over six years while the Yankees would offer $16 million. Garcia, who became a free agent last month, could decide on a team as soon as next week. The 26-year-old has experience as an infielder and outfielder in Cuba and spent this winter with the Magellan Navigators of the Venezuelan League.

Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald reported Thursday that the A’s were willing to offer around $16 million, but that report was denied in the “strongest possible terms” to Slusser. Garcia, who became a free agent last month, also reportedly received an offer from the Yankees.

It was reported back in early March that the A’s made an offer of around $16 million to Garcia, but that was clearly way off base. The 26-year-old wound up inking a deal worth just $400,000 on Wednesday with the Yanks. He’ll report to extended spring training at some point soon.

The injury occurred during batting practice Sunday. A Cuban defector, Garcia didn’t have a shot at an Opening Day roster spot despite the Yanks’ depth issues in the outfield. He ended the 2012 season at Double-A.

Garcia hit a pair of solo shots off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, and in the eighth he had an RBI groundout to give him three RBI on the night. But it was after a walk in the 10th inning that Garcia came around to score his third run of the game and give the Braves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The 31-year-old has acquitted himself well in his first full year in the majors, batting .274/.319/.420 with 13 homers, 50 RBI and 52 runs scored overall.

He singled and scored in the first inning. He singled again in the third inning to drive in Freddie Freeman. The 31-year-old is playing most every day for the Braves but has not put up the kind of numbers to be a viable fantasy option. He is batting .257 with 7 home runs in 299 plate appearances.

Garcia got the Braves on the board with a solo homer off of Jason Hammel in the second inning, which was immediately followed by a Tyler Flowers blast, the first time the Braves have hit back-to-back home runs this season. Garcia also drew a walk in the contest, reaching base safely in all four of his plate appearances. He’s now hitting .242/.294/.302 with two homers and 11 RBI.

He also scored on a Jeff Francoeur double, tallying both of the Braves’ runs on the night. The Braves’ third baseman has been heating up of late with a .421 average over his last 10 games.

Garcia got just enough of an Addison Reed pitch to clear the wall in left field for the game-winning dinger. It was his fourth of the year and his third in his last 10 games. He’s hitting .389 with six RBI and six runs scored in that span, bringing his overall line up to .258/.304/.346.

When the Braves recalled Garcia last week, it sounded like he’d play more left field than third base. However, that was before Gordon Beckham got hurt, opening up more playing time at the hot corner. Garcia is an awful defensive third baseman and he also hasn’t hit at all this year (.232, .561 OPS in 125 AB), so it’s not like he needs to be in the lineup anyway. Still, the Braves aren’t worrying overly much about results.