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Adolis Garcia is Who and What the Phillies Needed
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
The Phillies made their first big “out-of-house” free-agent splash on Monday morning, agreeing to a 1-year, $10M contract with RF Adolis Garcia, pending a physical.
It’s been made obvious by just about everyone in the Phillies organization that Nick Castellanos will not return to the team in 2026. Whether it’s via trade or release, Castellanos is just about certain to have a new home in 2026.
It was time for a change of scenery. The veteran outfielder had encounters with Rob Thomson this past season, notably down in Miami, which resulted in his benching and the loss of his games played streak. To top it all off, he’s coming off a bad season with just a .694 OPS, 88 OPS+, and a .294 on-base percentage.
The Phillies upgraded their outfield on Monday. The review across social media was more mixed than I expected. Why? Well, Adolis Garcia isn’t necessarily coming off his best season either. He had just a .665 OPS last year and was non-tendered by the Rangers after striking out 135 times in 135 games with a 93 OPS+.
Adolis Garcia Isn’t Another “Whit Merrifield” Signing
The best thing I saw on Monday was “Whit Merrifield 2.0,” or, in this case, 3.0, because they considered Max Kepler the 2.0 version.
Merrifield was brought in as a utility player in 2024. He played 2nd base, left field, third base, and DH. He was s slap-hitting, plug-and-play veteran who’s never hit 20 home runs in a season. That’s not his game, and that’s fine.
Where I find an issue with fan comparisons across social media, specifically Twitter or X, is that everybody is a comp because of a contract. Whit Merrifield was signed to a 1-year, $10M contract. Max Kepler was signed to a 1-year, $10M contract. Adolis Garcia was just signed to a 1-year, $10M contract.
Just because people make the same amount of money doesn’t mean they’re the same player or the same situation. Merrifield was actually coming off an alright season in 2023.
Neither Whit Merrifield nor Max Kepler have ever been as good as 2023 Adolis Garcia. Garcia was the pulse of a World Series-winning Rangers team that beat the Diamondbacks. He crushed 39 homers and 107 RBIs across 148 regular season games, tallying a 4.5 WAR.
The Phillies Needed Change (Specifically Right-Handed)
The right-handed bat market was unbelievably thin this offseason. It would’ve likely required a trade to find a righty better than Garcia. It didn’t seem like Byron Buxton was going to get traded. Luis Robert Jr. could’ve been an option, but once again, the White Sox probably would’ve just held on to him for what feels like the millionth year in a row.
The Phillies went out and filled a need. We have been begging for a right-handed power threat. Adolis Garcia in the middle of this lineup can be scary. Nick Castellanos doesn’t threaten power anymore, no matter what any stats say. When’s the last time Castellanos stepped to the plate and you felt like he could hit a home run? I’ll ask a different question. When’s the last time Alec Bohm stepped to the plate and you felt like he could hit a home run? Answer both of them, I’m begging you. It’s been longer than you think.
A Fresh Start
Garcia has proven that when his team is in the hunt for a championship, he rises. The Texas Rangers were a great team in 2023. It’s not a shock that his best season of his career came in 2023. Everybody’s allowed to have their opinion, so here’s mine:
Adolis Garcia screams “one of the biggest bounce back candidates on the market” to me.
I tweeted this video back in June, when the Phillies had reported interest in Garcia at the trade deadline, and I’m still thinking about it. Please tell me the last time a Phillies hitter showed true emotion like this. Emotion can only take you so far, I get it. But I’d rather watch this on a nightly basis than my right fielder pout and cause a scene with the manager when he doesn’t get his way.
Adolis Garcia will bring juice to this Phillies lineup. He’s got some of the biggest arms you’ll ever see. He’s never afraid to show emotion. He wants to win and he showed it in 2023. The Phillies needed a change in their outfield, and hopefully they’re not done shaking things up.
Luke Arcaini writes about the Phillies for Crossing Broad, covers the Phillies for FOX Sports The Gambler, and co-hosts "Phillies Digest" on YouTube. The wave is the worst thing in all of sports. Contact: lukearcaini8@gmail.com