How Bad is Jenkins?

During the winter meetings, the Brewers and Phillies were getting pretty hot and heavy in the Jenkins for Lieber deal. The Phillies decided to pass, as the Brewers were not willing to throw in enough bullpen help, and decided they could do without Jenkins, despite the glaring need for a left handed bat. What have they decided is a comparable addition? Karim freaking Garcia. Who is Karim Garcia!?! In short, Garcia sucks. He spent last year in Japan feasting on the small ballparks and thinned out pitching (only player in Japanese history to hit three home runs in back to back games) and now the Phillies are ready to add him as their left handed answer. Garcia sucks, but apparently is good enough to replace not getting Jenkins. In 2004 for the Mets and Baltimore Garcia hit .220 and slugged .380. Shockingly bad.

While obviously signing Garcia to a rock bottom deal is not the same as giving up starting pitching, the Phillies are basically just trying to dump Lieber, so it can be argued they were willing to give him up for just about nothing...or Geoff Jenkins.

The long and short of it, the Phillies see Jenkins and Karim Garcia as equitable assets.