Adonis García
Garcia with the Atlanta Braves in 2015
Third baseman
Born: (1985-04-12) April 12, 1985
Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: May 19, 2015, for the Atlanta Braves
KBO: March 24, 2018, for the LG Twins
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 2017, for the Atlanta Braves
MLB statistics
Batting average.267
Home runs29
Runs batted in110
KBO statistics
Batting average.339
Home runs8
Runs batted in34
Teams

Adonis García Arrieta (born April 12, 1985) is a Cuban former professional baseball third baseman. He played in the Cuban National Series from 2004 through 2011, and then defected from Cuba. He played for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2015 to 2017 and also played for the LG Twins of the KBO League in 2018.

Career

Cuban baseball

García debuted in the Cuban National Series in 2004 with Ciego de Ávila. In the Cuban National Series, García began as a shortstop, and then shifted to play other infield and outfield positions.[1] During the 2008–09 season, he had a .355 batting average, .426 on-base percentage (OBP), and .613 slugging percentage (SLG) in 282 at-bats.[2] That season, he recorded 21 home runs and 67 runs batted in. García played for the Cuba national baseball team in the 2009 World Port Tournament, leading all players in batting average at .500.[3] In 2010–11, his final season in the Cuban National Series, García batted .334 with a .397 OBP and .623 SLG in 308 at-bats.[4]

García then defected from Cuba via Nicaragua and Mexico in August 2010, making it to the United States in January 2011.[5][6] He played the 2011–12 winter in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he hit .270 with a .313 OBP and .461 SLG in 152 at-bats during the regular season for the Navegantes del Magallanes.[1][2] He then batted .376 with a .431 OBP and .548 SLG in 93 at-bats during the 2012 Caribbean Series with the Tigres de Aragua.[1][2] García was named to the Caribbean Series All-Star Team as a center fielder.[7]

New York Yankees

In August 2011, Major League Baseball (MLB) declared García ineligible to sign for six months due to fraudulent residency paperwork.[8] He established residency in Venezuela and MLB declared him a free agent in February 2012.[9] García signed with the Yankees on May 2, 2012 for $400,000.[10][11]

In 2012, García debuted for the Tampa Yankees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League before being promoted to the Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League. In all for the season, he hit .263/.311/.424 with five home runs, 29 runs batted in (RBIs), and two stolen bases in 57 games. He played all three outfield positions, with most of the time split between CF and RF. The next year, García played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Class AAA International League, with 6 games with the Rookie-level GCL Yankees as well. Between the teams, he finished the year with a .258 average, .308 OBP, .364 SLG, four home runs, 12 RBIs, and four steals in 56 games. Through the season, he again split the time mostly between center fielder and right fielder with a handful of games in LF. García spent the whole of 2014 with the RailRiders. For the year, in 86 games, he hit .319 with a .353 OBP, .474 SLG, nine home runs, 45 RBIs, and 11 steals. Like his previous seasons in the organization, García mostly played in the outfield, but spent 19 games at third base while also being the designated hitter in eight games.[12]

The Yankees released García on April 1, 2015.[13]

Atlanta Braves

He signed with the Atlanta Braves four days later, and was assigned to the Gwinnett Braves of the International League.[14] On May 18, García was called up to the major leagues.[15] He made his major league debut the next day, but was soon optioned back to Gwinnett. The Braves recalled García on July 25 after the Braves traded Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.[16] García hit his first career home run on July 26 off of Michael Wacha of the St. Louis Cardinals.[17] On August 3, he hit a walk-off, 2-run home run against the San Francisco Giants, a game which the Braves won 9-8.[18] García finished the season with a .277 batting average and ten home runs, becoming the second player in Braves' franchise history to hit ten or more home runs in less than 200 at-bats.[19]

García began the 2016 season as the Braves starting third baseman.[20] In late April, the team began shifting him between left field and third base in order to keep his bat in the lineup while minimizing opportunities for García to make defensive miscues.[21] The Braves optioned García to Gwinnett on May 6 to get him more playing time in left field.[22] Three weeks later, he returned to the majors to play third base.[23][24] García started at third for the rest of the season and hit .273 with 14 home runs.[25]

García hit for a .237 batting average, a .626 on-base plus slugging percentage, and four home runs until he was placed on the 10-day disabled list on May 16, 2017.[26][27] García was sent to the minor leagues for extended rehabilitation,[28] and did not return until June 2.[29] Four days later, García injured himself while batting and later underwent surgery on the ligament of his left ring finger.[30] García returned to the major leagues in September, after rosters had expanded.[31]

LG Twins

In January 2018, García was released from his contract with the Braves and signed with the LG Twins, a KBO League team to a one-year, $800,000 contract.[32] He became a free agent following the season.

Diablos Rojos del México

On February 13, 2019, García signed with the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He was released on May 8, 2019.

Toros de Tijuana

On July 2, 2019, García signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League.[33]

Generales de Durango

On July 29, 2019, García was traded to the Generales de Durango of the Mexican League. García did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] He later became a free agent.

Personal life

García's brother, Adolis García, also defected from Cuba and plays baseball in the United States. The two faced each other in the 2016 Caribbean Series, in which Adonis played for Tigres de Aragua and José Adolis for Ciego de Ávila.[35][36]

Scouting report

García is listed at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and 190 pounds (86 kg). He is considered a skilled hitter.[37]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jorge Ebro (March 2, 2012). "Pelotero cubano en la mira directa de los Yankees y los Atléticos – Béisbol". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Yankees Sign Cuban Outfielder Adonis Garcia". Baseball America. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Pelotero cubano se acerca a las Mayores desde Venezuela". El Nuevo Herald. June 1, 2011. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Media information: game notes" (PDF). MILB.com. April 3, 2014. p. 8. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  5. ↑ Hoornstra, J. P. (June 15, 2012). "Dodgers' draft choice Onelki Garcia chasing a dream". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  6. ↑ DiPietro, Lou (March 5, 2013). "Adonis Garcia fractures left hamate bone". YES Network. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Dominican Team wins 2012 Caribbean Series: Leones del Escogido wins four of six Games to pick up Title in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic". ibaf.org. International Baseball Federation. February 9, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ Badler, Ben (February 11, 2013). "International Reviews: New York Yankees". Baseball America. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Cubano García cerca de agencia libre". ESPNDeportes (in Spanish). February 5, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ DiPietro, Lou (May 19, 2015). "Atlanta Braves purchase the contract of Adonis Garcia from Triple-A". YES Network. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  11. ↑ King, George (January 10, 2013). "Cuban Outfielder Could Help Yankees Soon". Baseball America. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Adonis Garcia Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ Eddy, Matt (April 13, 2015). "Minor League Transactions: April 3–9". Baseball America. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Phil Gosselin to Undergo Surgery on Left Thumb". MLB.com. May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  15. ↑ Bowman, Mark (May 19, 2015). "Gosselin to miss 6–8 weeks with thumb fracture". MLB.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  16. ↑ Cunningham, Michael (July 25, 2015). "Braves promote Garcia, Castro from Gwinnett". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  17. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer and David Cobb; Cobb, David (July 26, 2015). "Garcia's first homer helps Braves stop Cardinals". MLB.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ Collazo, Carlos; Haft, Chis (August 3, 2015). "Braves battle back to beat Giants in extras". MLB.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ Bowman, Mark (March 20, 2016). "Given chance, Garcia aims to run with it". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  20. ↑ Bowman, Mark (April 23, 2016). "Braves willing to wait for Adonis' D to match bat". MLB.com. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ Bowman, Mark (April 26, 2016). "Defensive struggles sending Adonis to left field". MLB.com. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Greinke helps Diamondbacks beat Braves 7-2, snap 6-game skid". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  23. ↑ Bowman, Mark (May 27, 2016). "Braves recall Garcia, DFA Brignac". MLB.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  24. ↑ Bowman, Mark (June 18, 2016). "Adonis' progress slowed by ankle injury". MLB.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  25. ↑ Bowman, Mark (October 2, 2016). "Braves' 2016 season a tale of two halves". Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  26. ↑ Bowman, Mark (May 17, 2017). "Achilles tendinitis sends Adonis to DL". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  27. ↑ Bowman, Mark (May 17, 2017). "Peterson to see time at 3B with Adonis on DL". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  28. ↑ Wagman, Michael (May 26, 2017). "Braves giving Adonis more time in rehab". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  29. ↑ Bowman, Mark (June 2, 2017). "Garcia returns, may split time with Ruiz". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  30. ↑ Bowman, Mark (June 14, 2017). "Adonis expected out 2 months after surgery". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  31. ↑ Pace, Cody (September 5, 2017). "Braves activate Garcia, call up M. Johnson". MLB.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  32. ↑ "LG Twins sign ex-MLB infielder Adonis Garcia". January 13, 2018.
  33. ↑ "El avileño Adonis García recala en los Toros de Tijuana de la Liga Mexicana" (in Spanish). Cibercuba. July 5, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Mexican League Cancels 2020 Season".
  35. ↑ Morejon, Jorge (February 2, 2016). "The brothers García play for Cuba and Venezuela in the Caribbean Series". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  36. ↑ Bowman, Mark (February 2, 2016). "Garcia brothers reunite at Caribbean Series". MLB.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  37. ↑ John Arguello (March 2, 2012). "Cuban player Adonis Garcia drawing interest, but apparently not from the Cubs | Cubs Den". Chicagonow.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
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