Avisail

Garcia

Garcia hit .240/.255/.380 with two homers, two RBI, and a 13/1 K/BB ratio over 51 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2024 and was designated for assignment in June. He then underwent lower back surgery in October and, according to Romero, “is not expected to play in the 2025 season until winter ball in Venezuela.” At that point, García will be 34 years old and will be hoping to show enough in winter ball to earn an invitation to spring training somewhere.

The 32-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment earlier in the week and passed through waivers unclaimed. The Marlins are still on the hook for close to $25 million for Garcia and any team that want to pick him up will only be responsible for the league-minimum salary. Garcia hit .240/.255/.380 with two homers, two RBI and a 13/1 K/BB ratio over 51 plate appearances with the Marlins this season.

Garcia is now off the 40-man roster, and he’ll all but assuredly either be released or elect free agency after he goes unclaimed. The Marlins will be on the hook for close to $25 million to Garcia. He’ll be free to join another team, but it likely will be on a minor-league pact.

That means the Marlins will ended up eating the remaining salary of his 2024 season along with $12 million in 2025 and another $5 million for his buyout in 2026. That’s assuming he goes unclaimed, of course. He isn’t going to be claimed. Garcia has been a massive disappointment since signing his four-year $52 million contract prior to 2022, and he’ll all but assuredly hit free agency after he goes unclaimed.

García hit the injured list back in late April with a left hamstring strain and should be an option again for the Marlins at some point in early June. The 32-year-old veteran outfielder has been a colossal disappointment for Miami since signing a four-year, $52 million pact prior to the 2022 campaign as a free agent.

Garcia went 1-for-2 with a strikeout in Saturday’s game against the Nationals before leaving, and he’ll miss at least a week-plus while recovering. The Marlins are recalling Dane Myers from Triple-A Jacksonville to take Garcia’s place on the active roster. Hamstring strains have a wide variety or recovery times depending on the severity, but it’s likely the 32-year-old won’t be back until the middle of May.

Chisholm has started each of the last three games against a left-handed starter, so this is likely just a routine day off. Vidal Brujan will get the start in center field and hit eighth, which is noteworthy since his defense at third base last week cost the team. The Marlins have other left-handed hitters out of the lineup due to the platoon with Avisail Garcia starting in right field over Jesus Sanchez and Emmanual Rivera in the lineup instead of Nick Gordon.

García has no homers and an 11/2 K/BB ratio in 43 plate appearances. If García had just one year left on his contract, one wonders if the Marlins would bite the bullet and release him. Since there’s still two years left on that $53 million pact, it seems highly unlikely to happen. However, that doesn’t mean the team has to play him regularly. Limiting him to starts against lefties might be the best way to go initially.

García has missed most of the season with a multitude of injuries. The latest was a left hamstring strain he suffered during a game in late August. It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old will be ready to rejoin the Marlins before the end of the season, but time is running out. On the season, he is hitting .185/.241/.315 with three homers and two steals across 118 plate appearances.

García was hurt during last night’s game. That is unfortunate, but it probably is the best thing for the Marlins to no longer feel they have to play him occasionally. He’s been dreadful in hitting .185/.241/.315 this season, and he wasn’t looking any better since coming off the IL last month. All told, he’s hit .215/.260/.316 in 135 games since signing a four-year, $53 million contract prior to last season.