It was announced Monday morning that the Philadelphia Phillies have signed outfielder Adolis Garcia to a one-year, $10 million deal.
From the Phillies’ perspective, this move makes a lot of sense after Garcia was non-tendered in November. There’s reason to believe he can still figure things out at the highest level, even though his past few seasons haven’t been ideal.
Regardless, this signing feels like a sign of what’s to come for the Phillies throughout the remainder of the offseason, as it already seemed unlikely that Nick Castellanos would remain on the roster.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic provided the latest on what this means for Castellanos and how Garcia is likely to be his replacement.
“García, non-tendered in November after two consecutive seasons of disappointing production at the plate, will receive a slight raise from his $9.25 million salary in 2025. The Phillies, desperate for a competent right-handed-hitting outfielder, will turn to García in right field as the replacement for Nick Castellanos, who is expected to be traded or released before spring training...
“But García turns 33 in March and his .278 on-base percentage since 2024 ranks last among 123 qualified hitters during that period. He is a free swinger whose bat speed has slowed in recent seasons. García, in many ways, mirrors the man he will replace in right field. Factoring in Castellanos’ $20 million salary, the Phillies will essentially devote $30 million to the position in 2026,” he wrote.
It’s tough to say Garcia is a significantly better player than Castellanos. However, if the Phillies find a way to move on from Castellanos’ contract, this could still be an ideal situation.
Garcia is coming off a season in which he hit .227 with just 19 home runs, but in prior years, he’s been far more productive, hitting 39 home runs in the 2023 campaign and blasting 25 during the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, in both 2024 and 2025, he was still below league average in terms of OPS+, posting marks of 93 and 98.
We’ll see if this move pays off for the Phillies long term, but it definitely isn’t a perfect signing.