Phillies sign slugging outfielder Adolis García
Likely to replace Nick Castellanos in right field
From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/3wkdkumc
PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies added a dose of right-handed power and postseason pedigree Monday, signing outfielder Adolis García to a one-year, $10 million contract as the club continues to retool its roster with October in mind.
García, who turns 33 in March, gives the Phils a right-handed hitter with a track record of thunderous power — and also a history of swing-and-miss — as they reshape an outfield that lagged behind their pitching and star-studded infield core.
García is expected to take over in right field for Nick Castellanos, whom the Phillies plan to either trade or release this offseason to save money.
It wasn’t long ago that García looked like one of the sport’s most impactful two-way corner outfielders. He was the ALCS MVP and a centerpiece of the Texas Rangers’ 2023 World Series championship, punctuating that October run with eight postseason homers, a 1.108 OPS and a single-postseason record 22 RBIs. He also hit a walk-off homer in Game 1 of the World Series.
In the regular season that year, García posted career highs with 39 home runs, 107 RBIs and an .836 OPS while earning his second All-Star nod and a Gold Glove.
Since then, his production has declined.
García’s OPS dropped below .700 in both 2024 and 2025. The Rangers elected not to tender him last November rather than carry him into what would have been his final year of arbitration. (Not tendering a player means letting him walk when he is still under team control.)
Last season, García hit .227 with 19 homers, 75 RBIs and a .665 OPS — numbers that reflect both the volatility and the power that still lurk in his profile. In his six full seasons in the majors (after playing in Japan), he has struck out 175 times or more in five of them.
The Phils are banking on the power indicators. García still hits the ball hard when he connects — including a 92.1 mph average exit velocity — but his approach can veer toward boom-or-bust. His chase rate spiked last season, and his contact metrics trended in the wrong direction, a familiar trade-off for some hitters who live on major damage.
The Phillies already have a bunch of feast-or-famine hitters who chase.
Even if García’s bat doesn’t fully return to its 2023 form, he brings a defensive floor the Phillies need in right field, despite Castellanos’ improvement. After a rough defensive season in 2024, García rebounded with plus marks in 2025, including 16 defensive runs saved in the outfield.
The Phils would love to re-sign center fielder Harrison Bader, who was a sparkplug late last season after his acquisition at the trade deadline, but he may command too high a price on the open market.
Meanwhile, Philly has been eager to turn the page from Castellanos in right.
Castellanos, owed $20 million in the final year of his contract, is widely expected to be traded or released before spring training. Though he has had stretches of productivity here, the Phillies have made clear, through both their shopping of Castellanos and this signing, that they want more athleticism, more run prevention, and a right-field fit that better complements the rest of a roster built to win in October.
In García, they’re getting a player who has thrived on the postseason stage — and who now arrives with something to prove.
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