Before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cleveland Guardians reportedly talked to free agent Adolis Garcia.
At one point this offseason, Adolis Garcia was one of the most intriguing free agents on the market.
The slugger is only three years removed from a 39 home run and .836 OPS season, but has really struggled over the last two seasons. The 32-year-old was widely viewed as a bounce-back candidate for whichever team signed him.
Even though Garcia ultimately agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2026 season, it appears that the Cleveland Guardians at least reached out to him regarding a deal.
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reported earlier this week that the Guardians “talked to Adolis Garcia” about the open job in right field. The Guardians insider also noted that Cleveland had a discussion with Lane Thomas about the vacancy in right field.
Obviously, in the end, neither player ended up singing with the Guardians and found roles with other teams. “The response from Thomas and Garcia to Cleveland's interest was thanks, but no thanks. They wanted to play on a regular basis and not be fenced in by a platoon,” wrote Hoynes.
Jul 1, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) makes a catch during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesFrom the Guardian’s perspective, it does somewhat make sense that they are only interested in adding a right-handed hitting outfielder to have in a platoon role. Chase DeLauter and George Valera, both left-handed hitters, are easily the future of the Cleveland outfield and need all of the at-bats they can get to maximize their development.
Still, each player has an extensive injury history, and the Guardians struggled against left-handed pitching from the outset. So, adding another right-handed outfielder makes sense simply from a depth standpoint.
Even though Thomas and Garcia are righties, they’re each coming off disappointing seasons in their contract year, and each of them is likely looking for a larger role to earn a bigger free agency payday next offseason; that wouldn’t happen by only facing left-handed pitching in Cleveland.
Even though the Guardians didn’t sign either player, reports that Cleveland at least reached out to and spoke with both Garcia and Thomas show they’re willing to add another outfielder if the fit is there.
Perhaps, this could lead to the Guardians signing a free agent such as Austin Hays or Randal Grichuk.