A’s new backup Garcia catches up with research
MESA, Ariz. — In the loose environs of spring training, a player given a game off is usually free to leave for the day. It wasn’t rare this spring for A’s manager Bob Melvin to give catcher Aramis Garcia a game off — then spot Garcia in the dugout during that game, watching the A’s pitchers and opposing hitters.
“He wants to come to these games, he wants to watch the other team,” Melvin said. “There have been times I’ve said, ‘OK, their lineup’s out of the game, you can leave.’ He doesn’t want to … He wants to learn the pitchers and soak in as much knowledge as he possibly can.”
Health and safety protocols limited dugout numbers this spring, so Garcia couldn’t always stay. But this was his method to make up for lost time. The A’s acquired Garcia from Texas in
the Khris DavisElvis Andrus trade Feb. 6. That gave Garcia about 10 days to begin learning a new pitching staff before pitchers and catchers reported and he entered competition for a roster spot.
Normally, Garcia said, he’ll start preparing to handle a pitching staff in midJanuary. Pressed for time, he made Cactus League games a study tool. He watched the A’s majorleague pitchers but said he also wanted to see those bound for the minors, “just to start to make that relationship.”
“One thing you can control, especially being a catcher, is just caring,” Garcia said. “Truly caring and doing whatever you can to work with a (pitcher). Because at the end of the day, you’re out there with him. And his performance reflects just as much on you as it does on the pitcher.”
Garcia, 28, recently learned he will open the season with the A’s as the backup to Sean Murphy, edging out several others for the role. It will be Garcia’s first time on an Opening Night roster. He had brief majorleague stints with the Giants in 2018 and ’19 and missed last season after hip labrum surgery.
Optimism about Garcia’s defense preceded his arrival in Oakland. Pitchframing metrics favor him and the A’s prize his arm. Melvin hadn’t seen much of Garcia and said he focused on Garcia early in spring workouts, noting how pitchers tuned into Garcia’s feedback after bullpen sessions.
“He’s very knowledgeable,” Melvin said. “He takes the catching part of it very seriously.”
Some A’s pitchers have cited Garcia’s influence this spring. In his final Cactus League start, lefthander Cole Irvin held the Dodgers scoreless for six innings, striking out 10. He later said, “Garcia and I came up with a game plan and we were talking between innings … about how to start guys, what guys were going to be swinging early.”
On Sunday, Daulton Jefferies walked three Giants hitters in the second inning, but escaped unscathed. Jefferies said amid an important outing — he’s competing for a rotation spot — and with his command faltering: “I was able to just kind of home in and execute a pitch, and working with Aramis, it was good.”
A 2014 secondround pick by the Giants, Garcia debuted in late 2018 and batted .286 with four home runs in 19 games. He also struck out 31 times in 65 plate appearances. In 2019, he had several short callups to a team with catchers Buster Posey and Stephen Vogt. When Garcia did play, he tried to “force things.” He hit .143 with 21 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances.
Garcia said he “got back to basics” hitting this offseason, “really focused on seeing the ball and making better swings, decisions.” Though confident in his defense, the A’s wanted to gauge Garcia’s hitting this spring, giving weight to his Cactus League atbats. He had 10 hits and six walks in 34 plate appearances.
Behind the plate, Garcia has helped the A’s catch 11 of 17 wouldbe basestealers. His playing time as a backup might be sparing, but he has proven his time in the dugout can be productive.
“My big focus going in was to just come out here and play; obviously, I’m very thankful that I’ve played well,” Garcia said.
“In the past, I feel like I was so good at playing GM going into spring training, trying to think through decisions, and really robbed myself of just going out and having fun, just playing baseball. Going into this year, I really wanted to get back to that, and really just go out and play and show what I could do.”