Adonis García Arrieta (born April 12, 1985) is a

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

. He played in the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...

from 2004 through 2011, and then defected from Cuba. He played for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) from 2015 to 2017 and also played for the

LG Twins The LG Twins () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. They are a member of the KBO League. The Twins play their home games at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which they share with their rivals, the Doosan Bears. ...

of the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

in 2018.

Career

Cuban baseball

García debuted in the

in 2004 with

Ciego de Ávila Ciego de Ávila () is a city in the central part of Cuba and the capital of Ciego de Ávila Province. The capital city has a population of about 156,322 and the province 430,507. Geography Ciego de Ávila lies on the Carretera Central highway a ...

. In the Cuban National Series, García began as a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

, and then shifted to play other

infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the baseball field, diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, ...

and

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In bat and ball games ...

positions. During the 2008–09 season, he had a .355

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, .426

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

(OBP), and .613

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

(SLG) in 282

at-bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

. That season, he recorded 21

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 67

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

. García played for the

Cuba national baseball team The Cuba national baseball team () represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defect ...

in the

2009 World Port Tournament The 2009 World Port Tournament is an international baseball competition held at the DOOR Neptunus Familiestadion in Rotterdam, The Netherlands from July 2–12, 2009. It was the 12th edition of the tournament and featured teams from Chinese Taipei, ...

, leading all players in batting average at .500. In

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, his final season in the Cuban National Series, García batted .334 with a .397 OBP and .623 SLG in 308 at-bats. García then defected from Cuba via Nicaragua and Mexico in August 2010, making it to the United States in January 2011. He played the 2011–12 winter in the

Venezuelan Winter League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

, where he hit .270 with a .313 OBP and .461 SLG in 152 at-bats during the regular season for the

Navegantes del Magallanes Navegantes del Magallanes B.B.C., commonly known as Navegantes del Magallanes (; ''Strait of Magellan, Magellan Navigators''), or simply Magallanes, are a professional baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), based in ...

. He then batted .376 with a .431 OBP and .548 SLG in 93 at-bats during the

2012 Caribbean Series The fifty-fourth edition of the Caribbean Series (''Serie del Caribe'') baseball competition was played in 2012. It was held from February 2 through to February 7 with the champions teams from Dominican Republic (Leones del Escogido), Puerto Rico ( ...

with the

Tigres de Aragua The Tigres de Aragua () is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua. Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares in Maracay. The team ...

. García was named to the Caribbean Series All-Star Team as a

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

New York Yankees

In August 2011,

(MLB) declared García ineligible to sign for six months due to fraudulent residency paperwork. He established residency in Venezuela and MLB declared him a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in February 2012. García signed with the Yankees on May 2, 2012, for $400,000. In 2012, García debuted for the

Tampa Yankees Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough C ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

before being promoted to the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...

Eastern League. In all for the season, he hit .263/.311/.424 with five home runs, 29

(RBIs), and two

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s in 57 games. He played all three outfield positions, with most of the time split between CF and RF. The next year, García played for the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

, with 6 games with the Rookie-level

GCL Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

as well. Between the teams, he finished the year with a .258 average, .308 OBP, .364 SLG, four home runs, 12 RBIs, and four steals in 56 games. Through the season, he again split the time mostly between

and

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

with a handful of games in LF. García spent the whole of 2014 with the RailRiders. For the year, in 86 games, he hit .319 with a .353 OBP, .474 SLG, nine home runs, 45 RBIs, and 11 steals. Like his previous seasons in the organization, García mostly played in the outfield, but spent 19 games at third base while also being the

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

in eight games. The Yankees released García on April 1, 2015.

Atlanta Braves

He signed with the

four days later, and was assigned to the

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

of the International League. On May 18, García was called up to the major leagues. He made his major league debut the next day, but was soon optioned back to Gwinnett. The Braves recalled García on July 25 after the Braves traded Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. García hit his first career home run on July 26 off of

Michael Wacha Michael Joseph Wacha (; born July 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Bosto ...

of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

. On August 3, he hit a walk-off, 2-run home run against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, a game which the Braves won 9-8. García finished the season with a .277 batting average and ten home runs, becoming the second player in Braves' franchise history to hit ten or more home runs in less than 200 at-bats. García began the 2016 season as the Braves starting third baseman. In late April, the team began shifting him between left field and third base in order to keep his bat in the lineup while minimizing opportunities for García to make defensive miscues. The Braves optioned García to Gwinnett on May 6 to get him more playing time in left field. Three weeks later, he returned to the majors to play third base. García started at third for the rest of the season and hit .273 with 14 home runs. García hit for a .237 batting average, a .626 on-base plus slugging percentage, and four home runs until he was placed on the 10-day disabled list on May 16, 2017. García was sent to the minor leagues for extended rehabilitation, and did not return until June 2. Four days later, García injured himself while batting and later underwent surgery on the ligament of his left ring finger. García returned to the major leagues in September, after rosters had expanded.

LG Twins

In January 2018, García was released from his contract with the Braves and signed with the

, a

team to a one-year, $800,000 contract. He became a free agent following the season.

Diablos Rojos del México

On February 13, 2019, García signed with the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their ho ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He was released on May 8, 2019. In 13 games he hit .240/.328/.420 with 2 home runs, 9 RBIs and 1 stolen base.

Toros de Tijuana

On July 2, 2019, García signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

of the

. In 24 games he hit .258/.327/.409 with 4 home runs, 12 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.

Generales de Durango

On July 29, 2019, García was traded to the

Generales de Durango The Generales de Durango (English: Durango Generals) were a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) that was established in November 2016. The team was based in Durango, the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Durango. ...

of the

. In 24 games he hit .276/.351/.425 with 2 home runs, 12 RBIs and 1 stolen base. García did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. He later became a free agent.

Personal life

García's brother, Adolis García, also defected from Cuba and plays baseball in the United States. The two faced each other in the 2016 Caribbean Series, in which Adonis played for Tigres de Aragua and José Adolis for Ciego de Ávila.

Scouting report

García is listed at and . He is considered a skilled hitter.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia, Adonis 1985 births Living people Major League Baseball third basemen Major League Baseball outfielders Defecting Cuban baseball players Sportspeople from Ciego de Ávila Baseball players from Ciego de Ávila Province Atlanta Braves players Tigres de Ciego de Avila players Naranjas de Villa Clara players Diablos Rojos del México players Generales de Durango players Navegantes del Magallanes players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Indios de Mayagüez players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico Tampa Yankees players Toros de Tijuana players Trenton Thunder players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Gulf Coast Yankees players Gwinnett Braves players LG Twins players Gigantes del Cibao players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Cuban expatriate baseball players in South Korea

Career

Cuban baseball

New York Yankees

Atlanta Braves

LG Twins

Diablos Rojos del México

Toros de Tijuana

Generales de Durango

Personal life

Scouting report

See also

References

External links