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Have We Been Too Hard on Atlanta Braves’ 3B Garcia?

By Alan Carpenter

Aug 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia (24) bobbles an infield single off the bat of Chicago Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia (24) bobbles an infield single off the bat of Chicago Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia (24) bobbles an infield single off the bat of Chicago Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia (24) bobbles an infield single off the bat of Chicago Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Things Could Be Changing… a Bit

Despite criticisms coming from many portals – including this one – the Atlanta Braves have chosen to continue running Garcia out to third.  This despite all kinds of noise that could have rattled him or otherwise signaled that management was watching him situation very closely:

More from Tomahawk Take

  • It has been mentioned on multiple occasions that Hector Oliver could be moved back to third “if needed”
  • Emilio Bonifacio, Gordon Beckham, and Kelly Johnson were all brought in this off-season.  Every one of them is probably at least as capable of playing third base.
  • Beckham in particular told anyone who would listen that he came to camp with the intent of being the Opening Day third baseman for Atlanta… and every other day after that.

How’s that working for Beckham?  In the first two weeks of Spring games, he’s been at the position for exactly 5 innings.  Eight other players have seen more time than he at third.

Meanwhile, Adonis Garcia has played the most third base innings this Spring… 34 through today.

And the stat page currently shows zero errors for Garcia (my own recollection is that he did have one throwing error, but that isn’t shown – still, it’s the fielding errors that have been his nemesis).  Four putouts, six assists, 1 double play.

Warming to the Position

If anybody should have come into camp already in full playing shape, it should have been Garcia:  he had not only completed a full season in the Venezuelan Winter League in which his team finished atop the standings, he was the best hitter for Magallanes (.948 OPS).  After that season and a playoff run in which they fell to Eddie Perez’ Aragua club, Perez then picked Garcia to join him for the Caribbean Series (finishing second).

All of that was completed mere days before they both had to turn around and get to Florida.

Garcia didn’t excel in the field in Venezuela, but he did get more reps in.

Now in Florida, he’s also getting the best innings – those against the major league pitching and those against the major league hitters.

Those innings, that offense (.348 in 23 AB; 4 doubles and 1 homer; 1 strikeout) and the refreshing defense seems to suggest that the Braves are satisfied with what they are seeing in their third baseman… and the chances of knocking him off the position seem to be diminishing by the day.

Next: The Witness Protection Program Has Been Breached

He’s not going to win a Gold Glove… even accounting for the bizarre voting results we often see for that award… but there’s a fair chance Garcia could avoid the “butcher” moniker that seemed almost inevitable at times last year.

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