The Philadelphia Phillies have reached an agreement with outfielder Adolis García on a one-year, $10 million contract for the 2026 season, according to sources cited by MLB.com. The deal is pending a physical and could be finalized as early as Tuesday.
García, 32, is expected to take over right field from Nick Castellanos. The Phillies anticipate that García will provide a defensive upgrade and hope he can improve offensively after two below-average seasons with the Texas Rangers. García was non-tendered by Texas in November.
Last season, García posted a .227 batting average with 19 home runs, 75 RBIs, a .665 OPS, and a 93 OPS+. Over the past two years combined, his OPS was .675 with a 96 OPS+. However, between 2021 and 2023, he recorded a .777 OPS and a 113 OPS+, made two American League All-Star teams, and was named MVP of the 2023 AL Championship Series.
A comparison of advanced metrics between García and Castellanos this year shows similar offensive profiles. García had higher marks in xwOBA (.304), xSLG (.420), average exit velocity (92.1 mph), barrel rate (11.6%), hard-hit rate (46.7%), and chase percentage (35.7%). Castellanos led in xBA (.244), whiff rate (29.9%), strikeout rate (22.6%), and walk rate (5.4%).
Defensively, García posted +1 outs above average in right field in 2025 according to Baseball Savant—ranking him 12th among qualified right fielders—while Castellanos tied for last at -12 OAA. In terms of arm strength, García’s average throw clocked in at 91.9 mph (30th out of 196 outfielders), while Castellanos registered at 81.6 mph (tied for 185th).
The Phillies have stated their intention to find Castellanos “a change of scenery,” despite one year and $20 million remaining on his contract. According to sources, there has been little trade interest even when the club offered to cover part of his salary. If no trade materializes later in the offseason, Castellanos may be released.
Castellanos was benched during a June game in Miami following inappropriate behavior after being removed for defensive reasons by manager Rob Thomson; he again voiced frustration with Thomson in September.
Over four seasons with Philadelphia, Castellanos has hit .260/.306/.426 with a .732 OPS and league-average production but struggled defensively with -32 outs above average—seventh lowest among qualified players during that span—and finished last this season among qualified players in both fWAR (-0.6) and bWAR (-0.8). By contrast, García posted 2.7 bWAR and 0.7 fWAR this year.
Currently, the Phillies’ outfield options include García alongside Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford (the team’s No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline), Otto Kemp, Weston Wilson, Johan Rojas, Pedro León, and Gabriel Rincones Jr., all competing for roster spots.
Philadelphia has also shown interest in re-signing free-agent center fielder Harrison Bader but may reconsider if they retain both Kyle Schwarber—who signed a five-year deal last week—and J.T. Realmuto; an offer remains on the table for Realmuto as President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski recently expressed optimism about their return.
“Signing García to a one-year deal might solidify that thinking about Bader,” said one source regarding potential roster moves involving payroll considerations if Bader returns seeking a multi-year contract.
