Only two of the non-tendered outfielders offer any sense of intrigue and both come from the AL Central. There’s no irony to this. The 2018 AL Central was one of the worst division in the history of baseball and these two guys contributed to that.
This guy can hit
Avisail Garcia is one of the better players on the entire list of non-tendered players. But, the guy can’t escape the injury bug. He also happens to be on a team that has a plethora of outfielder prospects who are expected to join the ChiSox in 2019. There just wasn’t room for Garcia.
The seven-year veteran is only 27, so he’s only just entering his prime at the plate. In 2017, he earned his first and only All-Star invitation for his work at the plate: .330/.380/.506 with 18 home runs and 80 RBI. But, a combination of several short DL stints held him back in 2018.
At 6’4 and 240 pounds, he’s an imposing presence at the plate and in right field. In 2018, he had a hitting streak that reminded fans what he can do. From June 22 to July 8, he hit .333/.347/.783 with eight home runs, three doubles, and two triples. Then, he entered the DL for a hamstring issue. He had knee surgery in October.
The other outfielder
Robbie Grossman has split his career between the Astros and the Twins. He was non-tendered by the Twins, despite finishing the season with an OPS+ of 106 and a batting average of .273. He’s not a power hitter and has only had one season with double-digit home runs.
If teams had to choose between Garcia and Grossman, Garcia is the better choice. Both had hamstring issues in 2018. Grossman played in a career-high 129 games in 2018.
It is highly likely that both outfielders will find teams in 2019.