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Tigers Claim Former Top Prospect from Phillies

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Phillies
By Alex Carr | Last updated 9/6/22

Injuries are always an unfortunate occurrence in sports, especially towards the tail end of the season. When Nick Castellanos went down with an oblique injury this past week, the Phillies were forced to make a difficult 40-man roster decision, and did so by cutting former top prospect Luis Garcia to make room for utility-man Dalton Guthrie. Thus, Garcia was claimed off of waivers on Tuesday by the Detroit Tigers.

Garcia was having a dismal 2022 season. It was marred by injury, and the soon-to-be 22-year-old has always had concerns surrounding his power and swing-and-miss tendencies.

That's been the running storyline for the switch-hitting shortstop, ever since he broke onto the scene with a strong rookie league campaign in 2018. A glove-first infielder, Garcia hasn't really hit at all since that strong first impression, let alone hit for power. He's added some strength to his frame, but scouts have soured on what was once considered a strong contact tool. Between the lost minor league season in 2020, a poor showing in 2021, and an injury-forfeited 2022, Garcia has missed out on key development time.

It will be interesting to see how the still-young shortstop fares in the Detroit organization. He is running low on minor league options, and is still a ways away from being close to major league ready. That said, his glove is a plus, and the youngster has shown a decent ability to read the strike zone, though he may be a tad swing-happy at times.

Garcia was much closer to a top 25-30 ranked prospect in the Phillies system, and was likely ranked higher by other outlets given the track record and potential he'd previously flashed. Still, there is no mistaking his talent, and losing talent is always unfortunate.