The Colorado Rockies should pursue free agent outfielder Avisail Garcia

The Colorado Rockies know that they have to address their offense before the 2022 season as manager Bud Black and GM Bill Schmidt have acknowledged this.

Particularly, they need help in the power department. They were well below league average in home runs (198 was league average and the Rockies had 182, which was 21st in baseball) and a slugging percentage that was just three points above league average while playing half of their games at, arguably, the most hitter-friendly park in baseball.

There will be a lot of players that could fulfill that need both on the trade market and on the free agent market and one the new players newly on the free agent market is former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Avisail García.

Avisail García was a great bat for the Milwaukee Brewers and could be for the Colorado Rockies as well.

Outfielder Avisail García is one of the newest free agents on the market as he declined his end of a $12 million option with the Milwaukee Brewers. He could be a good fit for the Colorado Rockies.

After a sub-par 2020 season, García had a great season for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. He hit .262/.330/.490 with 29 home runs and 86 RBI with an OPS+ of 117. For the Colorado Rockies, that would have been good enough for García to be their second-best offensive player, after C.J. Cron’s 130 OPS+ and tied for Connor Joe’s 117 OPS+ that he had in slightly less than half of the games that García had.

For the Rockies, though, the biggest problem for them still could be the Brewers. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the Brewers may extend a qualifying offer to the outfielder. If they do and the Rockies sign him, they would have to sacrifice their third-highest draft pick to the Brewers, per the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Another problem is that he is primarily a right fielder. If the NL doesn’t adopt the DH, Charlie Blackmon will be occupying right field, unless they move him to left field. García has only played 16 games in left field in the majors while playing 718 games in right field and 90 games in center field.

In 2021, García was well above-average defensively, as he had 8 Defensive Runs Saved so, if the Rockies were to sign him, they should use him in right field.

García, who will turn 31 this coming June, made $10.5 million in 2021 so, realistically, $12-$15 million for four years or so would likely be in the ballpark for what he would get.

Rockies fans will likely be surprised if the Rockies do sign García or another big bat this offseason but García should be one of a few different outfielders on the radar for the Rockies as a possible free agent signing this offseason.