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Robel Garcia

KBO’s LG Twins Sign Robel Garcia

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June 5: Kurtz relays that the Twins have announced a deal with Garcia for $180K.

June 4, 8:38PM: The KBO League’s LG Twins are in talks with Garcia about a contract, according to a Naver Sports report (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net).

5:08PM: The Cubs have released utilityman Robel Garcia, according to MiLB.com’s official transactions page.  Garcia “is expected to pursue a career overseas,” Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register reports, so today’s move could be a precursor to Garcia quickly announcing a deal with a non-MLB team.

Garcia made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2019 and hit a respectable .208/.275/.500 with five home runs over his first 80 plate appearances.  This trip to the big leagues was the culmination of a rather unusual path for Garcia, who was out of affiliated baseball entirely from 2014-16 and then played two seasons in Italy before resurfacing in the Cubs’ minor league system.

From there, Garcia became a popular waiver claim candidate, as he was a member of five different organizations (Cubs, Reds, Mets, Angels, Astros) between July 2020 and February 2021.  After finally landing in Houston, Garcia hit .151/.216/.208 over 117 PA in the Show last season.

This year, Garcia had been on fire with Triple-A Iowa, batting .295/.394/.619 with 12 home runs in 165 PA.  However, as Birch observes, Garcia was seen as an expendable piece given the crowded state of Chicago’s infield.  Even with some injuries recently surfacing within the infield picture, the writing seemed on the wall for Garcia when he wasn’t called up for even a cup of coffee in the majors to fill any of those vacancies.  The 29-year-old Garcia will now look, for the second time, to revive his career with a stint in an international league.

Cubs, Robel Garcia Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs signed infielder Robel García to a minor league contract over the weekend, according to the transactions tracker at MLB.com. The switch-hitting infielder returns to the organization with which he began his MLB career.

García broke into pro ball with the Indians in 2010 but didn’t advance past Low-A in three-plus years in the system. He was out of affiliated ball entirely for some time, but García posted big numbers playing professionally in Italy between 2017-18. The Cubs were intrigued and brought him back to the affiliated ranks on a minors pact over the 2018-19 offseason.

Upon stepping into the high minors in the system, García picked up where he’d left off in Italy. He tore the cover off the ball for a month in Double-A, then hit .281/.361/.585 with 21 home runs over 296 plate appearances at Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs selected him to make his major league debut that July, and he appeared in 31 games. The Dominica Republic native hit five homers in 80 plate appearances, but he also struck out 35 times while drawing just seven walks.

Chicago waived García the following July, and he was claimed by the division-rival Reds. After spending the 2020 season at Cincinnati’s alternate training site, he bounced around the waiver wire from the Mets to the Angels to the Astros. García stuck in Houston for the bulk of last year, tallying a personal-high 117 plate appearances over 47 games. He hit only .151/.216/.208 with one homer in that time, though, and he struggled to a .162/.272/.368 mark over 32 games with Triple-A Sugar Land.

The Astros designated García for assignment and outrighted him off their 40-man roster last September. He elected minor league free agency and now returns to the place where he began the second act of his career. Swing-and-miss has been a clear problem for García, who has punched out in 33.1% of his Triple-A plate appearances and nearly 40% of his big league trips to the dish. Yet he’s capable of playing anywhere on the infield and has flashed some power potential in the past. The Cubs will take add him back to the organization, although it might be hard for García to crack an Opening Day infield mix that figures to include Andrelton Simmons, Nico Hoerner, Nick Madrigal, Jonathan Villar and Patrick Wisdom.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/18/21

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The latest minor league transactions from around baseball…

  • The Astros outrighted Robel Garcia to Triple-A after the infielder cleared waivers.  Garcia was designated for assignment earlier this week, marking the fifth time in the last 14 months that Garcia has gone through the DFA process, though this is the first time he hasn’t been claimed by another team.  After being claimed by the Astros last February, Garcia has spent the entire season in Houston’s organization, posting only a .423 OPS over 117 big league plate appearances but chipping in as a utility infielder.  Garcia has a .189/.321/.422 slash line over 109 PA at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Astros Designate Robel Garcia For Assignment

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The Astros are designating infielder Robel García for assignment, relays Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Reliever Rafael Montero was also transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list. The moves create a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster needed to reinstate Taylor Jones and Andre Scrubb from the injured list (Jones from the COVID-19 IL, Scrubb from the 60-day version). Both Jones and Scrubb were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land.

García has had one of the crazier career arcs of any player over the past few seasons. He spent a few years at the lowest levels of the Indians system but was released having topped out in Low-A. The Cubs spotted García playing professional ball in Italy a few years later and signed him to a minor league deal going into the 2019 season.

Assigned to Double-A, García mashed over the season’s first month before being bumped up to the minors’ top level. He popped 21 home runs in just 296 Triple-A plate appearances to earn his first big league call that July. The switch-hitting infielder hit another five homers in 80 trips to the plate at the big league level, but he also struck out 35 times.

Chicago designated García for assignment last July, and he spent the campaign at the Reds’ alternate training site after Cincinnati claimed him off waivers. He briefly landed with the Mets and Angels via waiver claim over the offseason and stuck with Houston after the Astros claimed him in February. He’s taken 117 plate appearances at the major league level this season, struggling to a .151/.216/.208 line with a huge 35.9% strikeout rate. The utilityman has had similar swing-and-miss issues in Triple-A, hitting .189/.321/.422 in 109 trips to the plate.

The Astros will now place García on outright or release waivers. His combination of power and ability to cover any position on the dirt has attracted the interest of a few teams around the league, although his continued strikeout problems have kept him from producing much to date at the big league level. García still has a minor league option year remaining after this season, so it’s possible a team could claim him and keep him in the system as high minors infield depth.

Houston acquired Montero alongside Kendall Graveman as part of a deadline deal with the Mariners. Montero had underperformed in Seattle and was included in the deal largely to offset salary. He performed well over his first four appearances with the Astros, tossing six innings of one-run ball. Unfortunately, right shoulder discomfort landed him on the IL just a couple weeks after the trade.

Today’s transfer rules Montero out for sixty days from August 10, the date of his initial IL placement. It’s theoretically possible he could make it back for a postseason run, but it seems more likely he won’t return this season. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for the fourth and final time of his career this offseason. If tendered a contract, he’d be in line for a slight raise on this season’s $2.25MM salary.

Scrubb returns for the first time since mid-July, when he landed on the IL with a shoulder strain. The 26-year-old has worked 19 2/3 frames of 5.03 ERA ball, striking out a decent 24.4% of batters faced but issuing walks at an alarming 16.3% clip. Jones, meanwhile, is back after missing a couple weeks upon testing positive for the coronavirus. He’s hitting .245/.269/.402 across 108 plate appearances.

COVID Notes: 4/19/21

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The latest on coronavirus-related situations around baseball…

  • The Astros plan to reinstate Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Martin Maldonado, and Robel Garcia from the COVID-19 list prior to tomorrow’s game against the Rockies, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reports (Twitter link).  It isn’t yet guaranteed that any of the four will be activated from the COVID-IL, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle writes that “there are still some hurdles to clear once they’re in Colorado concerning intake testing.”  Jose Altuve is the one player remaining on Houston’s COVID list, and Berman says the second baseman isn’t yet ready to return, though Altuve and the other four players were all cleared for individual workouts yesterday.

COVID Notes: 4/18/21

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The latest on the coronavirus:

Latest Updates

Earlier Notes

  • Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernández was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 on April 13. Fortunately, Hernández is no longer feeling symptoms of the virus, reports Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). He’ll have to remain in quarantine for ten days from the time of his positive test under the league’s 2021 health and safety protocols. That he’s currently asymptomatic is obviously good news for Hernández personally and seems to bode well for his chances of returning to play in relatively short order once his mandatory quarantine is up.
  • Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull has been in the health and safety protocols for almost a month, having first been placed on the COVID-19 injured list on March 20. He has been building back arm strength in recent days, though, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) Turnbull could return to action early next week. It’s possible the Tigers will pivot to a six-man rotation at that point, adding Turnbull to a group currently consisting of Matthew Boyd, Michael Fulmer, José Ureña, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Hinch said the organization hasn’t yet made that decision. If the Tigers were to go back to a five-man starting staff, Fulmer (who began the season in relief) or Ureña (who has struggled over three starts) would seem the most likely options to be bumped to the bullpen to make room for Turnbull. [UPDATE: Turnbull will start on Wednesday against the Pirates, per Jason Beck of MLB.com (Twitter link).]

COVID Notes: 4/16/21

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Friday’s coronavirus-related updates from the majors:

  • The Astros placed second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, catcher Martin Maldonado and infielder Robel Garcia on the COVID injured list Wednesday. They’re unlikely to return for the team’s five-game road trip, manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters. The Astros begin a three-game series in Seattle on Friday, and they’re scheduled to play in Colorado next Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • The White Sox announced that they have reinstated right-hander Dylan Cease from the COVID IL and optioned righty Zack Burdi to their alternate site. Cease was only on the list for two days, but he’s already set to return after “a series of negative tests,” the team stated. He’ll make his third start of the season Saturday against the Red Sox. Cease logged a 3.86 ERA with nine strikeouts and six walks over 9 1/3 innings in his first two appearances.
  • Twins manager Rocco Baldelli revealed that he received a false positive test on Thursday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. He isolated in his office and was then cleared after three or four more tests. The Twins aren’t out of the woods yet, though, as Baldelli said (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com) that they’ve had “further COVID-related issues in the clubhouse” on Friday. He couldn’t offer further details.
  • The Phillies with go without three members of manager Joe Girardi’s staff because of COVID protocols, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Hitting coach Joe Dillon, third base coach Dusty Wathan and bullpen coach Dave Lundquist are all away from the team. First base coach Paco Figueroa will move across the diamond to third, and coaching assistant Bobby Meacham will take over at first, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Astros Place 5 On Injured List

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The Astros’ offense is taking a sizable hit, as the team announced Wednesday that designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, third baseman Alex Bregman, second baseman Jose Altuve, catcher Martin Maldonado and infielder Robel Garcia are all going to the injured list. The team made the moves due to health and safety protocols, according to Astros general manager James Click, who doesn’t expect their game against the Tigers on Wednesday to be postponed, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets.

Houston’s losing four regulars in Alvarez, Bregman, Altuve and Maldonado. The first three have been vital members of the Astros’ offense for multiple seasons, and all three have gotten off to strong starts this year. Maldonado isn’t nearly as effective at the plate, though the Astros like his defense enough that they had been finalizing a one-year extension with him as of Tuesday.

With such a large chunk of their position player group down, the Astros are bringing up infielders Abraham Toro, Alex De Goti and Taylor Jones, catcher Garrett Stubbs, and outfielder Ronnie Dawson. De Goti and Dawson weren’t on the Astros’ 40-man roster, so their contracts had to be selected.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Lyles, Astros, Díaz, Odorizzi, Javier

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Jordan Lyles won’t get turns as a traditional starter to open the season for the Rangers, and he’s not thrilled about it, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Rangers manager Chris Woodward told the 6’5″ right-hander that he’s likely headed for 50-60 pitch outings, at least to start the season. Lyles surrendered more earned runs than any other pitcher in 2020, finishing with a 7.02 ERA/5.95 FIP in 57 2/3 innings. Outside of a 2-inning outing to start the season, Lyles served as a starter, though he did twice enter the game following an opener. Despite his struggles, Lyles averaged 88 pitches per outing as a starter/follower. The Rangers presumably want to protect Lyles while getting an extended look at some of their younger hurlers like Taylor Hearn and Brett Martin. Staying in Texas…

  • Chander Rome of the Houston Chronicle wonders if Aledmys Díaz might make some sense as a trade candidate for the Astros. The utility man is set to make $3MM this year, and the Astros would love to trim a little off the top of their payroll. Díaz has slashed .265/.337/.470 in 306 plate appearances the past two seasons as one of the first guys off the bench. Robel Garcia and Abraham Toro are competing for the second utility guy off the bench, and it certainly makes some sense to consider a Díaz trade if there’s one to be had. That said, Diaz is the best fit as a backup at shortstop, and Carlos Correa hasn’t exactly been an iron man. The Astros could also try to move Brooks Raley ($2MM), Joe Smith ($4MM) or Martin Maldonado ($3.5MM) as a way to trim the payroll, though the latter isn’t particularly likely.
  • Elsewhere on the Astros’ roster, they’re going to need to utilize their pitching depth from the jump. Recently-signed Jake Odorizzi isn’t likely to be ready for opening day, neither is Pedro Baez, currently on the COVID-19 injured list. Cristian Javier is also a bit of a question mark, not having pitched in a game since March 2, writes MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., and Jose Urquidy remain at the top of the rotation, but the final two spots may be up for grabs. If Javier and Odorizzi aren’t ready for opening day, Luis García and Bryan Abreu are back in camp and ready to audition.

Astros Claim Robel Garcia

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The Astros have claimed infielder Robel Garcia off waivers, the Angels announced (Twitter link).  The Halos designated Garcia for assignment earlier this week.  Justin Verlander was placed on the Astros’ 60-day injured list to create roster space for Garcia, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Garcia is no stranger to the waiver wire at this point, as he is now joining his fifth different organization since July.  Initially DFA’ed by the Cubs on July 23, Garcia was claimed and then subsequently designated by the Reds, Mets, and Angels, with Los Angeles just picking Garcia up at the start of February.

Is there a chance Garcia could finally stick in Houston?  He offers some versatility as a utility infielder (who has also spent some time in left field), though Almedys Diaz and Abraham Toro already provide a lot of multi-positional depth on the Astros’ bench.  Toro hasn’t yet shown much at the plate over 186 Major League plate appearances, however, so the Astros could see Garcia as a potential option if Toro is sent to Triple-A.

Garcia’s big league resume consists of 80 PA over 31 games with the Cubs in 2019, when he hit .208/.275/.500 with five home runs.  His unique minor league career included four years in the Indians’ farm system from 2010-13 before taking three years away from baseball and then resurfacing in the Italian Baseball League in 2017.  This led to a minors deal with the Cubs in 2019, and some very big numbers at the Double-A and Triple-A levels prior to his call-up.  Garcia doesn’t turn 28 years old until next month, so he presents some intrigue as a late-blooming power bat.

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