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White Sox Lock Up IF Garcia; Make Deal Deal With Graveman Official

The Chicago White Sox and versatile Leury García have finalized a $16.5 million, three-year contract.

 

The deal announced Wednesday calls for the 30-year-old Garcia to earn $5.5 million each of the next three years. He helped the White Sox win the AL Central last season, batting .267 with five homers and a career-high 54 RBIs in 126 games. He made 33 starts at second base, 28 in right field, 22 in center field, 18 at shortstop, and eight each in left field and at third base.

 

Garcia debuted with the Texas Rangers in 2013 and has been with the White Sox since a trade that August.

 

The White Sox have an opening at second base after trading Nick Madrigal to the Cubs in the Kimbrel deal in July, and García could get the job if the team isn’t able to bring in a better alternative.

 

MLB Network was the first to report García’s deal.

 

General Manager RicHahn said the White Sox also tendered contracts to pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López and outfielder Adam Engel on Tuesday night.

 

Meanwhile, closer KendallGraveman agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract with Chicago on Tuesday, giving the White Sox additional flexibility with their bullpen.

 

The 30-year-old Graveman is expected to pitch in front of Hendriks, who had 38 saves and a 2.54 ERA in his first season with Chicago. The defending AL Central champions also have Craig Kimbrel, but he could be on the move after he faltered in a setup role with the White Sox.

 

Graveman talked to Lance Lynn and Dallas Keuchel, and he exchanged text messages with Liam Hendriks.

 

All that homework led him to the Chicago White Sox.

 

After beginning his career as a starter, Graveman flourished while working out of the bullpen this year. He went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and his first 10 career saves in 53 games with Seattle and Houston.

 

Graveman made his major league debut with Toronto in 2014, but he appeared in just five games before he was traded to Oakland in a multiplayer deal for Josh Donaldson. Graveman pitched his only career shutout in the A’s 9-0 victory at the White Sox on Aug. 19, 2016.

 

He was Oakland’s opening-day starter in 2018, but his season was cut short by reconstructive elbow surgery. He returned to the majors last year with Seattle and had a 3.60 ERA in nine relief appearances in September, setting the stage for his breakout performance in 2021.

 

Graveman also brings more playoff experience to a White Sox team that hasn’t won a postseason series since its 2005 championship. The right-hander appeared in nine postseason games with Houston this year, allowing two earned runs in 11 innings.

 

Hahn got the contracts for Graveman and García in place right before what likely will be Major League Baseball’s first work stoppage since 1995. The five-year collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. EST Wednesday, and owners are expected to lock out the players if the sides can’t reach a new labor deal in time.

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