White Sox Claim Willy Garcia

[TheFutureIsNear]

Jason Coats has the same amount of extremities as Mike Trout so he deserves a shot! Come on people, Coats literally has no discernible skill set that makes you believe he will succeed in the majors. It's like people don't understand what a AAAA player is.

[Dick Allen]

I don't expect Coats to be anything special.

 

That said, I do find it annoying that his "shot" in the Majors was 58 plate appearances, and many on this board think that's enough to make a decision on him. Didn't Bregman begin his MLB career 0-34? And, my favorite example:

 

Mike Trout's first 60 career PAs: .185/.250/.352

Jason Coats' first 58 career PAs: .200/.298/.340

 

if Coats was a highly touted 19 year old like the guy you are comparing him to, you may have a point.

 

But think about how many White Sox outdid Trout their first 60 PA. This team is loaded.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Dick Allen

[steveno89]

I don't think anyone has made any decision on Jason Coats. The White Sox are likely making a strategic gamble that Coats will pass through waivers based on his talent. It's probably a safe bet. Like I said, if he keeps raking, he'll be back up eventually.

 

I doubt coats gets claimed. Every MLB team has similar players in their system.

 

Being realistic, he is a fourth outfielder at best. Classic AAAA player

 

 

[SoxAce]

if Coats was a highly touted 19 year old like the guy you are comparing him to, you may have a point.

 

Was just about to post the same thing.

[Dick Allen]

Coats will be 27 years old in February

 

Future Sox had hit between 14-18 in a horrible system last year. Garcia was ranked 12 in a better system. It is an upgrade. Coats is organizational filler who may get small stints filling in for injured players on the major league level,

 

A lot of guys have put up big numbers in Charlotte the last few years.

[Jose Abreu]

Jason Coats has the same amount of extremities as Mike Trout so he deserves a shot! Come on people, Coats literally has no discernible skill set that makes you believe he will succeed in the majors. It's like people don't understand what a AAAA player is.

Read the first sentence of my post again; and no, my point was that you don't give up on a player after 58 plate appearances.

[southsider2k5]

Read the first sentence of my post again; and no, my point was that you don't give up on a player after 58 plate appearances.

 

Yes, but when you drug Mike Trout into it, it lost all meaning. People aren't giving up on Coats based on 58 PA's. They are giving up on him because he really isn't that good.

[Dick Allen]

Read the first sentence of my post again; and no, my point was that you don't give up on a player after 58 plate appearances.

Sure you do. Most players never even get the 58 PAs.

[steveno89]

Sure you do. Most players never even get the 58 PAs.

 

Garcia has far more potential than coats. Coats likely goes unclaimed and gets sent back to Charlotte

[Y2Jimmy0]

Coats isn't even a 4th OF though because he can't play CF. He's like a 5th OF

[steveno89]

Coats isn't even a 4th OF though because he can't play CF. He's like a 5th OF

 

Coats is AAA injury depth at this point. I doubt they plan on giving him much of a shot

[Jake]

I honestly don't think Coats is definitively no good, but I don't think there's much ceiling there so I don't begrudge the Sox for risking him.

[Dick Allen]

I honestly don't think Coats is definitively no good, but I don't think there's much ceiling there so I don't begrudge the Sox for risking him.

Yes. If the goal is sustained excellence, a guy with a mediocre ceiling is no big loss, if he is a loss.

[Balta1701]

Yes. If the goal is sustained excellence, a guy with a mediocre ceiling is no big loss, if he is a loss.

Given that i don't think he is actually a loss, this adds another warm body. More people = more chance to find an average major leaguer somewhere.

 

If this is a loss of a player, well then I haven't seen a convincing argument that the lost player has a better chance of being an average major leaguer than the guy picked up.

[Dick Allen]

Given that i don't think he is actually a loss, this adds another warm body. More people = more chance to find an average major leaguer somewhere.

 

If this is a loss of a player, well then I haven't seen a convincing argument that the lost player has a better chance of being an average major leaguer than the guy picked up.

The chances of 27 year old Jason Coats becoming an average major leaguer aren't very good.

[Balta1701]

Here's what appeared to me to be an excellent read on Willy Garcia, what the Pirates tried to do with him at various steps, what he was able to do, what his weaknesses were, and why he didn't wind up on their roster in 2016.

Garcia is a prototypical athlete who could not turn into a baseball player. More often that not this happens with young players. Every year at the MLB draft, teams take players who are dual-sport athlete in baseball and football. They are always called raw, projectable, but have great athleticism, just like Garcia. Most of them end up not panning out, just like Garcia. Some thought Willy Garcia had an outside shot at being the Pittsburgh Pirates fourth outfielder for 2016. The only real plus tool he would have offered was his arm. Considered to be an average runner he provides average defense and is not much of a threat on the base paths. On the offensive side he has his issues as covered earlier.

 

The biggest thing working against him on the offensive side might have been the fact that he is a right-handed hitter. The Bucs like having left-handed hitting outfielders off the the bench. Mainly because two of the three current outfielders are righties. Add in that lefty hitters are better suited for PNC along with in general pinch-hitting late in games for strategic purposes. With all that being said, the Pittsburgh Pirates did not envision Willy Garcia playing a role for the Bucs in 2017. With no real progression at the plate, the Bucs decided it was time to cut ties with him.

[SoCalSox]

Not that it's a bad thing but there seems like an awful lot of talk about 2 players that won't even be on the roster in 2 years...

[steveno89]

Not that it's a bad thing but there seems like an awful lot of talk about 2 players that won't even be on the roster in 2 years...

 

I'd rather take a chance on Garcia and risk losing coats.

 

Neither is likely to crack the roster except if injuries happen

[witesoxfan]

Here's what appeared to me to be an excellent read on Willy Garcia, what the Pirates tried to do with him at various steps, what he was able to do, what his weaknesses were, and why he didn't wind up on their roster in 2016.

 

Garcia is a prototypical athlete who could not turn into a baseball player. More often that not this happens with young players. Every year at the MLB draft, teams take players who are dual-sport athlete in baseball and football. They are always called raw, projectable, but have great athleticism, just like Garcia. Most of them end up not panning out, just like Garcia. Some thought Willy Garcia had an outside shot at being the Pittsburgh Pirates fourth outfielder for 2016. The only real plus tool he would have offered was his arm. Considered to be an average runner he provides average defense and is not much of a threat on the base paths. On the offensive side he has his issues as covered earlier.

 

Are you sure that article wasn't about Avisail Garcia?

[Con te Giolito]

Avi spent a lot of time roping liners throughout the minors while young for his level almost every step of the way. Take a look at his minor league stats they are quite impressive, this dude doesn't even come close to Avi's minor league production.

[witesoxfan]

Avi spent a lot of time roping liners throughout the minors while young for his level almost every step of the way. Take a look at his minor league stats they are quite impressive, this dude doesn't even come close to Avi's minor league production.

 

But that description still pretty much fits Avisail Garcia to a tee.

[Jake]

FWIW, from the little I know of Willy Garcia I don't see any good reason we chose him over Jason Coats. Garcia isn't super young, seems to be lacking in relevant tools, and hasn't shown a hint of production for any sustained runs at any level. For comparison, Leury Garcia is 18 months older, also has a plus arm but also plus speed and middle-of-the-field defense, and has vastly outhit Willy Garcia at the same levels.

 

Maybe the Sox see something in him that they see as a doable change, but to me if I had to bet on which player would be putting up positive WAR seasons in the future I'd have my money on Coats.

[NorthSideSox72]

Garcia has a higher ceiling than Coats - more impressive in raw power by a lot, some other athletic tools. But Coats has a higher floor - I think Coats is a typical 4OF right now (and yes he can play some CF, though I wouldn't start him there).

 

For me, the ideal would have been to not carry Avisail and his price tag and overhead baggage, and instead keep Coats, Willy G and Liriano around to compete for RF and 40-man slots.

 

[ChiSox59]

Garcia has a higher ceiling than Coats - more impressive in raw power by a lot, some other athletic tools. But Coats has a higher floor - I think Coats is a typical 4OF right now (and yes he can play some CF, though I wouldn't start him there).

 

For me, the ideal would have been to not carry Avisail and his price tag and overhead baggage, and instead keep Coats, Willy G and Liriano around to compete for RF and 40-man slots.

 

Hopefully Coats passes through waivers. I'd like to see him get another chance next year.

[Two-Gun Pete]

Avi spent a lot of time roping liners throughout the minors while young for his level almost every step of the way. Take a look at his minor league stats they are quite impressive, this dude doesn't even come close to Avi's minor league production.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...amp;position=OF

 

Yeah, Avi sucked in 2009, 2010, & 2011, with wrc+ below 100 in every stop. Then, in 2012, he had his miracle "career year," with wrc+ >100, & a cup of coffee in the bigs. Just in time for the geniuses in the Sox front office to stupidly "buy high." I for one was not surprised that he's sucked out loud with the Sox. (But, Two-Gun Pete, his TOOLS! TOOLS!)

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...amp;position=OF

 

Willy Garcia's wrc+ has exceeded 100 in most cases, which suggests he's been an above average bat in most stops. This is not to state that Willy can be an average bat in The Show, but the track record is there. We'll see.