Often overlooked, Garcia vying for role in A's bullpen

MESA, Ariz. -- Several unheralded pitchers in A’s camp are competing for one or two openings in the bullpen. Standing out among such a crowded group is difficult, but Rico Garcia wouldn't have it any other way.

Garcia, a non-roster invite, is used to being overlooked. He had a solid but unspectacular high school career in Hawaii at Saint Louis School, mostly known as a football factory that produced NFL quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa. His lone scholarship offer came from Hawaii Pacific University, and it wasn’t until his senior year that Major League scouts really had a presence at his games.

Though the odds of fulfilling his big league dream were stacked against him, Garcia showed enough in his final college season for the Rockies to take a flier on him in the 30th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. With his proverbial foot in the door, he forced his way onto their radar by excelling at each level of the Minors. By 2019, he ranked as high as No. 20 on Colorado’s Top 30 Prospects list and earned his first call to the Majors that season, joining former Mets, Rockies and Red Sox outfielder Benny Agbayani, whom Garcia idolized and wears No. 50 in honor of, as the second player from Hawaii Pacific to reach the big leagues.

“That’s just what it’s been since I got drafted,” Garcia said prior to Friday’s 12-11 A’s victory over the Rangers. “For a 30th-rounder, in order to get the opportunities, you need to produce. Guys that are drafted later tend to have less opportunities or a shorter leash.”

It wasn’t an ideal Major League debut. Getting the start at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the defending World Series champion Red Sox, Garcia allowed six runs on seven hits and five walks in five innings. His only other big league appearance that season came three weeks later in a relief outing.

Claimed off waivers by the Giants in November 2019, it looked like Garcia was about to get his chance to stick. He made San Francisco’s Opening Day roster as a reliever in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and did not allow a run in nine of his 12 appearances. The following offseason, Garcia switched up his training regimen by focusing on strength training with an emphasis on leg work, and he gained a few ticks on his fastball as a result. Finally, he was establishing himself at the highest level.

Then came a major setback.

Going through Spring Training in 2021, he felt discomfort in his right elbow during the final week of camp. On March 24, the Giants announced Garcia would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, bringing his ascending trajectory to a screeching halt.

“When I found out, I was pretty down,” Garcia said. “At the end of the day, I told myself that it is what it is. How I approached the field every day was a good reminder of what’s to come. I kept telling myself everything would be OK. I just had to get the arm healthy.”

After missing the entire 2021 campaign, Garcia signed a Minor League deal with the Orioles after the season. Back to full health by late April, he put together a stellar ‘22 season across three Minor League levels in Baltimore’s system, posting a 1.99 ERA in 24 games, with 60 strikeouts over 45 1/3 innings. Still, Garcia's big league time with the O's was again limited, making six relief appearances and allowing four runs in eight innings.

A free agent this offseason, Garcia identified the A’s as an attractive landing spot for a couple of reasons. For one, Oakland and Spring Training in Arizona are a lot closer to Hawaii, which allows for easier travel for his family to come watch him play. Topping the list, though, was the A's track record of success with players who have bounced around organizations.

“The opportunities that they have here,” Garcia said. “It seems like there’s always guys that get the opportunity here. A guy like me, a late-round guy that never really stuck in the big leagues, it’s a good opportunity.”

Of those vying for bullpen spots, Garcia certainly sticks out as a strong contender. He’s yet to allow a run through four Cactus League outings, and his eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings are the most of any reliever in camp. Garcia is up to 97 mph on his fastball, a pitch which ranked in the 83rd percentile in fastball spin in 2022, and he has experience working multiple innings -- all characteristics the A’s typically look for in a reliever.

“He’s got a plus fastball,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Garcia. “A little erratic, but in the zone enough to where he’s effective. … In terms of individuals, performance is a factor. There’s definitely opportunity in the bullpen for guys in camp.”