Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Miami Marlins will designate veteran outfielder Avisail Garcia for assignment. Garcia has been with the Marlins since 2021 and is in the third year of a 4-year/$53M deal. He is currently rehabbing from a hamstring injury. The Marlins acquired Garcia with the hopes he would become a utility powerhouse. Unfortunately, he did not live up to his potential and is potentially one of the worst moves the Marlins made, costing them loads of money.
The Marlins have designated Avisail García for assignment, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 4, 2024
OF Avisail Garcia Designated For Assignment
Before joining the Marlins, Garcia was coming off a standout season with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he slashed .262/.330/.490 with 29 home runs in 135 games. Understandingly, the Marlins were eager to acquire him. This acquisition came when Derek Jeter was the CEO and would be his last and most expensive acquisition. In his first season with the Marlins, Garcia’s performance fell short. He went 98 games and slashed .224/.266/.317, a noticeable decline from the previous year. Following his disappointing first season, there were hopes he would return to playing like the 2021 version of himself in 2023. Despite these hopes, he experienced a flurry of injuries and only played in 37 games. In these 37 games, he slashed .185/.241/.315 and struck out 39 times with only three home runs. He was finally healthy in the 2024 season, but that would only last 18 games. He went down with a left hamstring strain in late April. In those 18 games, he slashed .240/.255/.380 with two home runs.
As reported, the Miami Marlins have designated Avisail Garcia for assignment.
Career slash line with the Marlins: .217/.260/.322/.582 with 13 home runs, 49 RBIs and a 62 OPS+ #Marlins @FishOnFirsthttps://t.co/yMojapr0RQ
— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) June 4, 2024
The Marlins will still have to pay Garcia the remainder of his salary for this season, $12 million in 2025, and a $5 million buyout for his player option in 2026. It’s safe to say this acquisition was deemed costly and produced no help for the Marlins. Garcia was once an intriguing free agent, but over the years, his abilities have diminished, and there are serious questions about what other team will be willing to pick him up.
Main Photo Credits: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
