Love him or hate him, the legend has returned home.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman has reported that the White Sox and free agent utility man Leury Garcia have agreed to terms on a three-year deal. The agreement is said to be worth around $16.5 million.
Garcia, 30, was signed by the Rangers in 2007 before being traded to Chicago in August 2013. Since then, he’s appeared in 579 games over nine seasons for the Sox, making him the longest-tenured player on the roster. During that time, he’s more impressively played at every position except catcher and first base.
In 2021, Garcia slashed .267/.335/.376 with five home runs, 54 RBI, six stolen bases, and a .711 OPS across 126 regular season games. Come October, he also delivered arguably his top moment with the team, hitting a go-ahead three-run homer in Game 3 of the ALDS. With his versatility and great clubhouse presence, Garcia was an attractive depth piece for the front office to lock up.
Despite the need for an everyday right fielder and second baseman, all fans can exhale as it sounds like Garcia’s role will remain unchanged. According to The Athletic’s James Fegan, the team expects Garcia to play multiple positions throughout the season and fill any voids should someone get injured. He is not being counted on as an everyday player.
As for finding an answer to the right field and second base dilemma, there still have not been many rumors as of late. While many are frustrated by the lack of moves, patience will be key until the offseason reaches its end. We all can agree that if Leury is somehow the team’s Opening Day second baseman, there are likely much bigger issues at hand. But that’s a conversation for a later date we hope to never have.
As more details unfold, we’ll provide updates to this article.
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