Adding a small bit of insult to the injury of the slowest hot stove season in history was the low-stakes drama between the Braves and Adonis Garcia. In case you need a refresher course:
- Adonis Garcia did not impress the Braves in 2016 or 2017, and collected just 183 PAs in his most recent season, missing time with injury and ineffectiveness.
- In late December, it was reported that Garcia struck a deal with the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization.
- But, the very next day, another report indicated that Garcia had not been cleared to pursue his opportunity in Korea, as he had not yet been formally released by the Braves.
- Then, there was no news on this front for 12 whole days.
Until now, anyway, as it appears that Garcia has finally been released from his obligation to the Braves.
The Braves have released INF Adonis García from their roster in connection with his desire to play in South Korea for the 2018 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) January 10, 2018
Across three seasons, Garcia accumulated 944 plate appearances with the big league Braves, collecting 29 home runs while posting an 89 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR. He was an unexpected bit of lightning in a bottle when called up as a 30-year-old in 2015, swatting 10 homers in 198 PAs while putting up a 112 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR.
However, that was about it on the production front. While Garcia got nearly a full season’s worth of appearances in 2016, he could manage just a 90 wRC+ with poor defense. Things went from “marginally playable” to catastrophic for him in 2017, as he scuffled to a 63 wRC+ over the season’s first six weeks, went down with an Achilles injury, and then managed just four more games before a torn ligament in his finger knocked him out until September.
Unless the Braves make an offseason move, some combination of Johan Camargo, Rio Ruiz, and Charlie Culberson figure to get the bulk of the appearances at the hot corner for Atlanta in 2018.