Tampa Bay Rays close to signing OF Avisail Garcia, per report

The Tampa Bay Rays are closing in on free agent outfielder, Avisail Garcia, per a report from Ken Rosenthal.

Garcia, 27, is coming off a down year with the Chicago White Sox in which he hit .236/.281/.438 with 19 HR over 385 PA, registering a 92 wRC+ and playing exactly at replacement level. However, he is just a year removed from a breakout campaign in 2017, in which he accrued 4.2 fWAR and put up 137 wRC+.

The slugging outfielder just finished off his 7th season in the majors, having spent the majority of it with the Chicago White Sox. Prior to joining the south side, Garcia signed as an international free agent with the Detroit Tigers in the summer of 2007. He was eventually dealt to the White Sox as part of a three-team trade with the Boston Red Sox at the 2013 trade deadline.

Garcia is putrid defensively, spending most of his time in right field. This past season he put up -4 DRS over 727 innings played.

The deal is not yet done and the figures have yet to be reported. The Rays would need to make a 40-man roster move in order to add Garcia.

He would presumably become the Rays designated hitter.