Avisaíl García Retires After 13-Year MLB Career, Including Memorable 2021 Run with Brewers
After 13 seasons in the big leagues, Avisaíl García has officially hung up his cleats. The former All-Star and power-hitting outfielder announced his retirement yesterday, closing the book on a career that spanned four teams, one All-Star nod, and a handful of moments that reminded fans just how electric he could be when healthy and locked in.
For Milwaukee Brewers fans, García’s name might not sit alongside franchise icons like Robin Yount or Ryan Braun, but his brief stint in Brew City-particularly in 2021-left a mark.
A Surprising Addition to a Stacked Outfield
When the Brewers signed García to a two-year, $20 million deal in December of 2019, eyebrows were raised. Milwaukee was already boasting one of the league’s most dynamic outfields with Braun, Lorenzo Cain, and Christian Yelich patrolling the grass. At the time, it was hard to see how García, then 29, would carve out consistent playing time.
But as baseball often reminds us, roster logjams tend to work themselves out-sometimes in the most unexpected ways. Before García could even debut for Milwaukee, the COVID-19 pandemic put the world, and the MLB season, on pause.
When the league resumed with a shortened 60-game schedule, the universal designated hitter rule was temporarily introduced. Add to that Cain’s decision to opt out of the season, and suddenly, the Brewers had plenty of at-bats to go around.
García, Braun, and Yelich all found themselves in the lineup regularly.
A Short Stay, but a Timely Impact
García’s time in Milwaukee wasn’t long-just 188 games across two seasons-but it came at a pivotal moment for the franchise. After a lackluster 2020 in which he slashed .238/.333/.326 over 53 games, García bounced back in a big way the following year.
In 2021, he looked every bit the player scouts once dubbed “Mini Miggy,” a nod to fellow Venezuelan slugger Miguel Cabrera. García posted a .262/.330/.490 line with 29 home runs and a 3.1 bWAR, his best season since his 2017 All-Star campaign with the White Sox. He was a key contributor on a Brewers team that won the NL Central and looked poised for a deep playoff run-until the eventual World Series champion Braves halted those plans in the NLDS.
Still, García’s timing couldn’t have been better. His strong 2021 showing landed him a four-year, $53 million contract with the Miami Marlins.
Unfortunately, that chapter didn’t go as planned. Injuries and a steep decline in production led to his DFA in June 2024, and after sitting out the 2025 season, García decided to call it a career.
A Career of Peaks and Pivots
García’s MLB journey began with the Detroit Tigers, where he made his debut before heading to the White Sox in a midseason trade. It was in Chicago where he had his breakout year in 2017, hitting .330 and making his lone All-Star appearance. A one-year stint in Tampa Bay followed, and then came the move to Milwaukee.
His career had its ups and downs-flashes of brilliance mixed with stretches of inconsistency and injury setbacks. But when García was right, he was a force.
A 6-foot-4, 250-pound presence in the box, he could change a game with one swing. And in 2021, he did just that for a Brewers team that needed pop behind Yelich.
Farewell to "Avi"
While García won’t be remembered as a franchise cornerstone, he played an important role in one of the more competitive stretches in recent Brewers history. His 2021 season helped power a division title and gave Milwaukee fans a taste of what he was capable of when healthy and confident.
As he steps away from the game, García leaves behind a legacy of perseverance and timely production. He may have worn several uniforms, but for a season in Milwaukee, he delivered when it mattered.
Brewers fans will remember that-and should be tipping their caps as "Avi" rides off into retirement.