Adonis Garcia: Braves Starting 3B in 2016?
Adonis Garcia surprised Braves Country this past summer following the trades of Juan Uribe and Chris Johnson with his raw power and overall good play.
The long-time minor league journeyman manned the hot corner for the Atlanta Braves for over a month last summer, and showed that he possesses an impact bat. Even after Hector Olivera, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Braves intended future third-baseman, manager Fredi Gonzalez tried to find ways to Adonis Garcia’s bat into a struggling Braves’ lineup.
-= Related: Cameron Maybin Traded to Tigers =-
In 58 games for the Atlanta Braves in 2015, Adonis Garcia had a slash line of .277/.293/.477 with 10 homers and 26 RBI’s in 191 at-bats. Garcia was the first Braves’ rookie since Evan Gattis to hit more than 10 homers in his freshman season — and he did it in only 191 at-bats.
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A few weeks ago, reports came out that the Atlanta Braves intend to move Hector Olivera to the outfield, given that the 30-year-old Cuban defector is prone to injury. By trading Cameron Maybin last week to the Detroit Tigers, the Braves now officially have an opening in the outfield for Olivera. What the trade of Maybin does leave is a void at the hot corner for the team, and have yet to shop for an option at third-base. Does this mean that the Braves are considering Adonis Garcia for the starting third-base job in 2016?
This could definitely happen, given his good numbers last year. In addition to putting up impressive statistics in 2015, Adonis Garcia is raking in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 12 games thus far with Navegantes de Magallanes, Garcia is hitting .326/.392/.522 with 2 homers and 9 RBI’s. Of course these great numbers don’t guarantee the same degree of success at the major league level, Adonis Garcia showed last season that he is capable of manning the position and possesses an impact bat. These numbers just lend more credence to the belief that Garcia is a contender for the starting third-base job next season.
Next: Michael Bourn Projected to Start in CF for Braves
With Spring Training Still almost three months away, a lot can happen between now and then. Rio Ruiz could do well in Spring Training, or the club could opt to move Jace Peterson to the hot corner. Until the Braves head down to Florida training facility in mid-February though, it’s a safe assumption that we can expect Adonis Garcia to have a good shot at securing a spot on the Braves opening day roster. There are much worse options than the 30-year-old journeyman in my opinion. Keep it here for ongoing Braves updates.