White Sox outfielder could be traded this offseason after having a career year in 2017. He did garner interest reportedly from the Oakland Athletics.
The Chicago White Sox don’t have as many trade assets as they did a year ago, but one player has garnered interest this past week from another team. Avisail Garcia who is coming off his best year in the majors has reportedly been targeted by the Oakland Athletics.
According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Athletics are in search of right-handed hitting outfielder and could be targeting Garcia. With Garcia being just one of a few trade assets for the Sox remaining, he could bring back a nice return of prospects if traded.
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However, the Sox could hold onto Garcia as he’s under team control until after the 2019 season. Garcia hit a career-high .330 for the Sox this past season to go along with 18 home runs and 80 RBIs. After failing to live up to his potential in his first four seasons with the Sox, Garcia was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2017.
Garcia is due for a hefty raise in arbitration this offseason and could be traded before the start of the 2018 season. Despite not finishing a full season hitting over .275, Garcia was one of the league leaders in hitting in the American League in 2017. With the Sox current rebuild, Garcia could still fit in the team’s plans when they’re ready to contend in a few years.
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Much like last year, the Sox don’t have to rush to trade Garcia. Rick Hahn has gone on record stating no player is untouchable, but Garcia isn’t hurting the team’s payroll at the moment. With Garcia under arbitration for the next two years, the Sox can hold onto him until they feel they’re presented with an offer they can’t refuse from another team. Expect the Sox to maximize Garcia’s value similar to other players they’ve traded over the past year. Hahn won’t trade Garcia unless the price is right.