On Friday night, the Texas Rangers non-tendered former All-Star outfielder Adolis Garcia, making him a free agent. For the team, the move was clearly a money decision as it relates to his current level of production. He had been projected to make $12.1 million in his final year of arbitration.

We'll examine the situation further in a moment, but Garcia feels like the kind of player that Chaim Bloom will target in free agency for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Garcia file

Now 33 years old, Garcia has spent seven years in the big leagues with the Cardinals and Rangers, debuting with St. Louis in 2018. He is a .237 career hitter with 141 home runs and 459 RBIs, and he hit a career-high 39 blasts in 2023.

He's a two-time All-Star and he helped the Rangers win the World Series that season, also winning a Gold Glove Award.

He's not that player anymore right now, as he hit .227 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs this past season. He only carried an OPS+ of 93, but he still hits the ball extremely hard and still has big power.

Why it makes sense for the Cardinals

1) While the Cardinals are looking at a rebuild, they also don't want to bottom out completely. A proud franchise, Bloom is going to try to thread the line between rebuilding, developing and being competitive as much as possible. While no longer a great player, Garcia is a good player, and he can help the team win more games.

2) The Cardinals are looking to shed payroll, but the money for Garcia might line up for them, especially on a one-year deal. Texas didn't want to pay him $12 million, but would he take $8 million or so to play in St. Louis?

3) If he plays well, the Cardinals can trade him at the deadline, acquiring another prospect and shedding some of that salary number.

4) If the Cardinals are going to trade Lars Nootbaar this offseason, as has been speculated, they will have room in the outfield for Garcia.

Why it's a tough sell

1) Garcia may not need to go to a rebuilding team to rebuild value. Given his prior track record, other contenders may very well come calling for him.

2) He may be able to get more money in total. Perhaps Garcia can sign a two-year deal somewhere that gives him more cumulative money than he got in Texas, and gives him more security than a one-year deal could provide.

Conclusion

The Cardinals should absolutely call Garcia, but they likely won't be at the top of his list of teams to go to.

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