Did Luis Garcia Play For The Phillies?

Yes. Luis Garcia played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013 to 2018.

Luis Garcia Philadelphia Phillies

Garcia felt his professional career was ended after spending 2011 out of baseball and pitching only nine games for the Newark Bears of the Can-Am League, with an 11.57 ERA, and began learning the skill of barbering at a salon in New Jersey.

He worked for a moving company at night.

Garcia’s primary baseball activities at the time were instructing kids and playing a few pickup games, but Phillies international scouting director Sal Agostinelli heard about him and sent someone to watch him throw.

Agostinelli invited Garcia to spring training after seeing that he consistently threw a 94-mph fastball and an “excellent” slider.

On March 25, 2013, the Phillies signed him to a minor league deal and assigned him to their Advanced-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers. “It’s absolutely one of those moments as a scout that you dream of,” Agostinelli was reported as saying.

Despite the scouting staff’s praise, Garcia was not anticipated to make it to the majors.

Garcia started the season in Clearwater before being promoted to the Reading Fightin Phils and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where he posted a 1.67 ERA and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9).

On July 9, 2013, he was called up to the Major Leagues to replace Phillippe Aumont.

Garcia was recalled from Lehigh Valley on May 8, 2014, and spent the rest of the season with the Phillies, participating in 13 games.

After solid spring training, Garcia was named to the Phillies’ Opening Day roster in 2015.

Garcia’s play during the first half of the season was described by then-interim manager Pete Mackanin as “inconsistent,” with Mackanin claiming that Garcia was hanging too many sliders.

Garcia went 3–1 with one save in 59 games (all in relief) in 2018, posting a 6.07 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 46 innings.