The Phillies have agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with free-agent outfielder Adolis García, according to multiple reports on Monday. The club has not confirmed the deal.
The 2026 season was due to be García’s final year of arbitration eligibility, but he became a free agent after the Rangers non-tendered him on Nov. 21. Texas opted to move on from the right-handed slugger after he slashed .225/.279/.397 with a 96 OPS+ across 2024-25.
It wasn’t long ago that García was at the pinnacle of the sport, helping the Rangers win the 2023 World Series with a postseason performance for the ages: eight homers, a 1.108 OPS and a single-postseason-record 22 RBIs.
García was particularly impressive in the ’23 ALCS against the Astros, earning series MVP honors after going deep five times and driving in 15 runs. To top it off, he hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning of Game 1 of the World Series against the D-backs.
That showing came on the heels of a strong regular season that saw García earn his second All-Star selection and produce career highs in homers (39), RBIs (107), OPS (.836) and WAR (4.7, per FanGraphs). His defense also drew acclaim, netting him his first Gold Glove Award.
García made his first All-Star team as a 28-year-old rookie two years prior and went on to finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting after recording 31 homers with 16 steals. He followed that up with 27 home runs, 101 RBIs and 25 steals in 2022.
García’s breakout with the Rangers was the culmination of a remarkable journey that began in his native Cuba. Born in Ciego de Avila in 1993, García played professionally for five years in the island nation’s top professional league, the Cuban National Series, even winning the league’s MVP Award at the end of the 2015-16 season. García also had a brief stint in Japan, the majority of which was spent playing for the Yomiuri Giants’ Minor League affiliate.
García was expected to return to Cuba following his time overseas, but he defected instead and established residency in the Dominican Republic to become an international free agent who was eligible to sign with a Major League team. He subsequently signed a Minor League deal with the Cardinals. However, he logged only 21 big league games during his time with the organization, and St. Louis designated him for assignment on Dec. 18, 2019, to make room on the 40-man roster for Korean lefty Kwang Hyun Kim. García was traded to the Rangers for cash considerations days later.
Even then, his Rangers career nearly ended before he had a chance to earn a meaningful role. After playing just three games for Texas during the shortened 2020 campaign, the club designated him for assignment in February 2021. García, though, passed through waivers unclaimed and remained with the organization, giving him a chance to work his way back onto the 40-man roster and eventually establish himself as an impact player for the team.
