Offseason notes: Can Phillies hit on one-year deal with Adolis García?

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski swung a surprising trade last December when he acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. It served as Philadelphia’s best move of the winter, a deal to land a talented starting pitcher who turned in one of his best years.

Aside from Luzardo and his 3.92 ERA in a career-high 183 2/3 innings, the Phillies did not get much production from their offseason additions. Dombrowski signed three major-league players to one-year contracts before the 2025 season: reliever Jordan Romano, reliever Joe Ross and outfielder Max Kepler. None of them quite panned out.

The Phillies have already handed out a multiyear deal to slugger Kyle Schwarber this winter, but they’ll be reliant on at least one player on a prove-it contract again after reportedly agreeing to a deal for 2026 with outfielder Adolis García. The 32-year-old is a former All-Star who posted a legendary postseason run in 2023 with the Rangers. But the power-hitting right fielder has struggled for the past two seasons and was non-tendered by Texas. With a new opportunity in Philadelphia, he’ll have a chance to rebuild his value if can perform.

Of course, there’s a reason García was only able to attain a short-term deal. He batted just .225 with a .675 OPS over his last two seasons. In his career-best 2023, García hit 39 home runs with an .836 OPS. But he was also able to cut his chase rate down to 29.3%, his lowest mark in a full season. It shot back up to 33.6% and 35.7% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. García hits the ball hard, but the right-handed hitter’s aggression can work against him.

On defense, García is a positive defender in right field with a cannon arm. That will be a big change of pace for the Phillies, who have had Nick Castellanos as their primary option at the position since 2022. Castellanos did not produce at the plate or in the field this year, and he lost playing time down the stretch. He is not expected to be back with the Phillies in 2026.

Still, Castellanos (.694) had a higher OPS than García (.665) in 2025, and it’s no guarantee that García returns to the version of himself that helped the Rangers win a World Series ring. But if he can swing at better pitches over the course of next year, he should be able to contribute and tap into his power once again. That would benefit García next offseason, and it would certainly help the Phillies’ title odds to hit on a one-year free-agent signing.

Change of Scenery

The Phillies have made it no secret that the plan is for Castellanos to play elsewhere next year, even before the news of an agreement with García made the rounds. Castellanos, who has one year and $20 million remaining on his contract, had the worst year of his career in 2025. He was benched by Rob Thomson for a game in June after making an “inappropriate comment” when he was replaced on defense the night prior and questioned the manager’s communication in September after becoming a weak-side platoon bat instead of an everyday starter.

Last week at the Winter Meetings, Thomson was asked about Castellanos and if he had spoken to him at all this offseason.

“No, I haven’t talked to him to tell you the truth,” Thomson said, “but I still respect Nick, because at the end of the day, what he wants to do is play every day. And you can’t dog a guy for wanting to play every day. I’ve been around plenty of people who didn’t really want to play every day. That’s not my cup of tea.”

If the Phillies are able to trade Castellanos, they’ll almost definitely have to eat a significant portion of his 2026 salary. And if there aren’t any takers, the club could end up releasing him. In any case, the Phillies will have a different right fielder on Opening Day.

“I think that in some cases,” Thomson said, “it is good for guys to have a change of scenery and go to a different place and that motivates them in some certain way or helps them in some certain way. But whether that’s the way it is with Nick, I’m not sure.”

Locking in a DH

The Phillies’ five-year commitment to Schwarber ensures that his elite power will stay in the batting order for the foreseeable future, but it will also force the club to continue to sacrifice some lineup flexibility, a reality that Dombrowski acknowledged last week at the Winter Meetings. While most teams cycle through designated hitters and use the spot to get their regulars some time off the field, Schwarber will be entrenched as Philadelphia’s DH, outside of the occasional game here or there.

“You have those discussions when you sign a full-time DH,” Dombrowski said. “That’s the type of thing you do, and you weigh the resting of players at times versus having that spot filled on a regular basis. And I think that by all means, the strengths, the positives far outweigh the negatives of that.”

Having Schwarber means fewer DH days for Bryce Harper, who has dealt with a number of different injuries in recent years, or catcher J.T. Realmuto, if the veteran comes back in free agency. But if that also means having an MVP candidate capable of hitting 56 home runs like he did in 2025, the Phillies will take it.

“I’m sure there’ll be a time we might say we’d rather get this guy off his feet and rather than DHing him you have to have him take that day off,” Dombrowski said. “But that’s part of it, and we thought it was well worth it.”

One WBC Candidate

The British national baseball team is “keeping tabs” on Phillies prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. for 2026 World Baseball Classic. Rincones, who was born in the United States but grew up in Scotland, has played in international competition for Great Britain in the past but has not participated in the WBC before.

“Gabe is great,” Great Britain manager Brad Marcelino said last week. “He has been part of our program for a long time, right? He’s kind of gone through it, so he’s definitely one of the ones that we’re keeping tabs on, and he’s interested in doing it, for sure.”

Rincones hit 18 home runs with a .799 OPS and 21 stolen bases in Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year. He has serious pop against right-handed pitching, but he’s not a viable matchup against lefties. He’d help Great Britain’s outfield in the event, but it could be a tough decision on whether to play in the WBC or not. Dombrowski has expressed belief that Rincones is close to being able to play in the majors. Maybe it’s unlikely with García in the mix, but Rincones could come into spring training with at least an outside chance to win a bench or platoon job for the Phillies, depending how the rest of the outfield looks after the offseason.