Monday’s news became official early Tuesday morning as the Philadelphia Phillies officially announced the signing of Adolis Garcia to a one-year, $10 million contract, as originally reported by Francys Romero. Garcia, 32, is a two-time All-Star who played a crucial role in the Texas Rangers’ 2023 World Series championship team. The outfielder presents a strong arm and good speed in the outfield, relying on his power at the plate.
Now playing for the City of Brotherly Love, Garcia will look to bring his experience and skills to the table to get the Phillies over their postseason hump in 2026.
“It's a great town,” Garcia said in his introductory press conference through Jorge Velandia translating. “I like the way they compete and I like to compete. I love the dynamic of the team and that was the biggest intrigue about me coming here.”
In 2023, the ALCS Most Valuable Player and All-Star right fielder put together a strong year at the plate, hitting 39 home runs with an .836 OPS. A 16.1% barrel ratio put him in the 96th percentile across the majors. Over the next two seasons, he would see that barrel rate drop to 11.6% while his home runs halved to 19 and his OPS dropped to .665.
Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson made it clear on Tuesday that signing Garcia was not a blind bet on potential upside. Rather, there is a belief that Garcia’s struggles are rooted in his approach, not an erosion of skill.
“The tools are there,” said Dombrowski. “The ball jumps off his bat still. Bat speed’s still there, exit velocity is very good… We think it has more to do with approach than it would be abilities.”
Thomson echoed that assessment, pointing to the emotional weight García carried in Texas last season amid injuries and lineup instability, and how that may have influenced his approach at the plate.
“Maybe he tried to do a little bit too much for the team,” Thomson said. “The message is just be yourself, relax, have fun. We’ve got a lot of really good players around him.”
The Phillies believe that simply placing García into a deeper lineup, where he is not asked to carry the offense, can unlock better swing decisions and more consistent production.
“Controlling the strike zone a little bit better, using the field,” Thomson said. “His power stands out in any part of the ballpark.”
García himself aligned closely with that vision, acknowledging that his focus entering Philadelphia is on resisting the urge to be a nightly hero.
“The main focus is trying not to be the hero every night,” García said. “Make the game as simple as possible.”
With Kevin Long and the Phillies’ hitting group already engaged, the organization sees García as a player whose best version is still accessible, not distant. Long will travel to Tampa in the coming days to begin working with Garcia with Spring Training two months away across the bay in Clearwater.
“This guy’s a talented guy,” Thomson said. “We’re going to get to work here pretty quick.”
With some returning faces like Brandon Marsh, Otto Kemp, and Johan Rojas, along with new-to-town Garcia and up-and-comers Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr., there are a lot of potential pieces for the Phillies’ outfield in 2026.
“With the signing here, we look at him as being our right fielder,” Dombrowski said on Garcia. “Then we're in a position where we're pretty well set out there because with Justin Crawford being able to play center or left and Brandon Marsh, the other.”
A lot of conversation this offseason has circulated around Crawford and whether the outfielder is Major League-ready.
“We think Justin's gonna be a good player, but again with young players you have to give them the opportunity,” said Dombrowski.
Dombrowski went on to comment that Otto Kemp will likely get reps in left field alongside Marsh, particularly to fill in for Marsh’s blind spot against left-handed pitching. Rojas then projects to backup Crawford in center field with Rincones Jr. continuing to make pushes for his inclusion on the roster.
Throughout Dombrowski’s discourse on the alignment of the outfield, there was one particular name that was omitted. A name that is on the line for $20 million in 2026 whether he is in the conversation or not.
It is no secret that the Phillies have been shopping Castellanos. With Garcia being openly declared as the Phillies’ right fielder, Castellanos’ fate has been sealed. Whether Castellanos is traded or released, he is clearly not a part of the Phillies’ picture in 2026.
Instead, the Phillies are taking their chance on a bat with a similar profile to that of Castellanos in Garcia. The difference, however, is in Garcia’s better defense in right field paired with a half-off price tag.
“It's who scores the most runs,” said Garcia through Velandia. “So if you can take a run from anybody in the outfield I was willing to do that at any time. It's part of what we bring every day. So that's a big time of the things that I concentrate in the offseason to be ready to be at my best in the outfield at any time.”
For all intents and purposes, it seems as if Dave Dombrowski is content with the outfield he has drawn up with Garcia. The Phillies have been connected with Harrison Bader to bring him back, however any signing with Bader seems less likely now that Garcia has been signed. Should the Phillies continue pursuing Bader, he would likely slot in left field, either taking the job from Marsh or potentially joining him in a platoon. If it is the latter, then Bader would likely sign elsewhere. If it is the former, then it is possible the Phillies trade Marsh as well as Castellanos before Spring Training.
At the moment, however, Dombrowski’s priorities are at position number two on the scorecard.
“Catcher is really our main focus at this point where we are,” said Dombrowski. “We've talked consistently about trying to sign JT and we stay we remain that way. But we haven't been able to get it done so far.”
Whether it’s moving a player currently on the roster, re-signing a veteran, or signing an outside player like Tatsuya Imai, one thing is for certain: the Phillies’ offseason is still very much in motion.
