It has been nearly six years since the Texas Rangers took a flyer on outfielder Adolis García, and though he is no longer on the team, the years they got with him were well worth what was given up. 

On Dec. 21, 2019, the Rangers acquired García in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. Despite a rough start in his new home, García eventually became an invaluable piece, leading Bleacher Report to recently call the trade one of the 15-most lopsided Major League Baseball trades of the last decade. 

“After going 2-for-17 with seven strikeouts in a 21-game audition in 2018 and then not seeing the majors at all in 2019, Adolis García was traded from St. Louis to Texas in exchange for cash considerations during the 2019-20 offseason,” it wrote. “He was largely a non-factor again in 2020, going 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in three games, but exploded onto the scene as a 28-year-old rookie the following year with a 31-homer, 90-RBI, 3.9-WAR season. 

“Over his five full seasons with the Rangers prior to being non-tendered this winter, he posted a 106 OPS+ with 141 home runs, 458 RBI and 15.2 WAR, earning a pair of All-Star selections and winning 2023 ALCS MVP while helping the Rangers win a World Series title.” 

García’s impact — especially in the Rangers’ 2023 run to their first World Series title in franchise history — cannot be understated. That season, García his .245 with 39 home runs through 148 regular season games. In the playoffs, which has been his only postseason appearance during his seven-year career, García met the moment with a .323 batting average and eight home runs. 

Though García and the Rangers experienced decline over the last two years, viewing his acquisition in hindsight shows how well it worked for Texas. 

Now, he will join the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year, $10 million deal. 

“Adolis García and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a one-year, $10 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday, landing the veteran with a team that needed outfield help less than a month after being non-tendered,” ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan reported on Monday. 

“The 32-year-old García, whose blistering postseason helped lead Texas to the 2023 World Series title, was non-tendered by Rangers in late November following two sub-standard seasons. He is expected to take over in right field, paving the way for the exit of Nick Castellanos, who has spent the winter on the trade block and carries a $20 million salary into next season.” 

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