Some under-the-radar White Sox players have put themselves on the map early in spring training this year. Tim Elko fits this description on the position player side, while Deivi García has impressed on the mound. In a small sample size, the 24-year-old former Yankee farmhand has a 3.00 ERA and four strikeouts in three innings of work, including strikeouts of Xander Bogaerts and Luis Campusano of the Padres. In one of his appearances this spring, García’s fastball reached 97.4 MPH, almost 3 MPH faster than his 2023 fastball average of 94.8 MPH. He is making his presence known this spring while competing for a bullpen spot with the White Sox.
Former Top Yankee Prospect
García was initially signed by the Yankees for $200,000 in 2015 as a position player. The Yankees soon converted him to the mound, and his prospect stock soared. García was selected to participate in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game and was also a top 100 prospect in MLB according to Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and Major League Baseball before the 2020 season. He looked to be the future ace of the Yankees and even drew comparisons to Pedro Martinez, as both pitchers are from the Dominican Republic and relatively small in stature. García is only 5’9”, significantly shorter than the typical MLB pitcher, yet he performed so well in the minor leagues at such a young age that he was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball at one time.
García’s Decline
Unfortunately for García, it has been downhill for him since then. While he made his Major League debut in 2020, he was not particularly good, pitching to a 4.98 ERA and 4.15 FIP in six starts. He did not perform well in 2021 either, and then dealt with a finger injury in 2022 and did not pitch in the majors at all that season. The Yankees converted him to a relief pitcher before the 2023 season but designated him for assignment in August last year. The expectations in the Bronx are sky high, and García did not live up to them.
Comeback Story
Shortly after the Yankees gave up on García, the White Sox claimed him off waivers. While he put up a 2.89 ERA in six appearances with Chicago last season, he walked more batters than he struck out and was nothing special. The White Sox stockpiled several former top 100 prospects in the second half of last season to audition, including García, Brent Honeywell Jr., and Luis Patiño. However, only García survived the entire offseason on the 40-man roster of the trio amidst a ton of personnel changes and roster turnover. The White Sox keeping him on the 40-man this long is a testament to their belief in him and his potential, even though he is flawed and a work in progress.
Despite struggling early in his MLB career, García is only 24 years old and has a prospect pedigree. He is out of options, meaning the White Sox must keep him on the MLB roster or they risk losing him. While he does have issues with command and walks, he has the stuff and talent to become a quality reliever at the MLB level as evidenced by his lofty strikeout numbers in the minor leagues. García is exactly the type of player the White Sox should be giving opportunities to in 2024. It would be a tremendous comeback story if he carved out a role for himself in the White Sox bullpen.
