Avisail García Retires: A Career of High Hopes, Flashing Talent, and What-Ifs
Another familiar name from the South Side is calling it a career. Avisail García, the former White Sox outfielder who once looked like a cornerstone piece of the franchise’s rebuild, has officially retired from Major League Baseball at age 34.
García becomes the third former White Sox outfielder to step away from the game this offseason, following Michael A. Taylor and Travis Jankowski - both of whom transitioned into coaching roles after suiting up for Chicago in 2025.
García’s MLB journey stretched across 13 seasons, beginning with the Detroit Tigers and winding through stints with the White Sox, Rays, Brewers, and Marlins. But it was in Chicago where he spent the most time - six seasons in total - and where expectations were once sky-high.
A Promising Start That Never Fully Blossomed
The White Sox acquired García at the 2013 trade deadline in a three-team deal that sent right-hander Jake Peavy to the Red Sox. At the time, García was a highly touted prospect - big frame, big bat, and big upside.
And early on, he gave fans a taste of that promise. In 42 games down the stretch in 2013, García posted a .774 OPS, showing flashes of the offensive upside that had scouts buzzing.
But the momentum didn’t last. Injuries limited him to just 46 games in 2014, and over the next two seasons, García struggled to find consistency at the plate. His offensive numbers in 2015 and 2016 were below league average, and questions started to creep in about whether he’d ever make the leap from potential to production.
Then came 2017 - the breakout year that briefly changed the narrative.
The 2017 All-Star Peak
In 2017, García put together the kind of season that made everyone remember why he was once considered a future star. He slashed .330/.380/.506 with an .886 OPS, earning his first and only All-Star selection. He looked confident at the plate, spraying line drives to all fields and finally tapping into the power that had long been projected.
For a moment, it felt like García had arrived - not just as a productive player, but as a core piece of the White Sox’s future. But the momentum didn’t carry over.
His 2018 campaign was a step back. While he did set a career-high with 19 home runs in just 93 games, his OPS dropped to .719, and the White Sox ultimately chose not to bring him back.
García moved on, signing a one-year deal with the Rays in 2019. He bounced back nicely in Tampa, hitting 20 homers and posting a .796 OPS, which earned him a two-year deal with Milwaukee.
A Late-Career Surge and a Pricey Miami Gamble
García’s time with the Brewers included a strong 2021 season, where he launched 29 home runs - a career-best - and parlayed that performance into a four-year, $53 million contract with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2022 season.
That deal, however, never lived up to expectations.
Injuries and inconsistency plagued García’s Marlins tenure. Over three seasons, he played just 153 games and hit 13 home runs.
He was released in 2024 and underwent back surgery shortly after. He didn’t play in 2025 and has now decided to officially hang up his cleats.
A Career of Glimpses, Not Greatness
In total, García finishes his MLB career with 140 home runs and a .733 OPS - solid numbers, but far from the superstardom the White Sox envisioned when they acquired him back in 2013. His career arc is a reminder of how difficult it is to project young talent, and how fragile the line is between potential and production.
García’s time in Chicago was filled with moments that teased greatness but never quite delivered sustained success. He became emblematic of a White Sox era marked by inconsistency, injuries, and unmet expectations - a stretch of years the fanbase is more than ready to move past.
Looking Ahead
What comes next for García remains to be seen. Whether he follows Taylor and Jankowski into coaching or steps away from the game entirely, he leaves behind a career that, while never reaching star status, still featured moments worth remembering - especially that 2017 All-Star campaign.
As for the White Sox, the right field carousel has spun for years since García’s departure. But with top prospect Braden Montgomery on the horizon, there’s hope that the position could finally stabilize.
In another timeline, maybe García becomes the franchise cornerstone many hoped he would be. But baseball doesn’t deal in hypotheticals - only in results. And now, with his playing days officially behind him, García’s chapter in MLB is closed.