Phillies Sign Power Hitting Outfielder, Former Playoff MVP

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies have signed hard-hitting free agent outfielder Adolis Garcia, a streaky and free swinging power hitter and premier defender who will likely slot into an everyday role in the 2026 lineup.

The contract is for one year and $10 million, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com and ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.

Garcia had a mostly miserable year at the plate in 2025, but he's also only two years removed from a standout 2023 season in which he ripped 39 home runs and held an .836 OPS. That postseason also saw him earn the ALCS MVP en route to Texas Rangers winning the World Series.

Garcia is most directly a replacement for Nick Castellanos, who the Phillies have said publicly they plan on trading or releasing. While he doesn't have Castellanos' career-long offensive consistency, he has more power, and he is a major improvement defensively. Most metrics had Casty as one of the worst defensive outfield regulars in baseball in 2026, while Garcia was one of the best.

Garcia is also, less directly, a replacement for Harrison Bader, who now seems much less likely to return to Philadelphia. Bader was chiefly acquired as a defensive whiz at last year's trade deadline, and the boon he brought with his bat was a nice ancillary prize.

With top prospect Justin Crawford expected to get the chance to play every day in 2026, the Phillies now have a significantly remade outfield. Brandon Marsh is likely to be the other regular. The team still has intriguing depth pieces in Otto Kemp, Weston Wilson, and Johan Rojas to battle for reps, as well, though it has always seemed unlikely that someone from that group would be an opening day starter.

As for the rest of the offseason, the Phillies reportedly have an offer out to JT Realmuto, their long time catcher and other major free agent, after resigning Kyle Schwarber last week. Of course it remains possible the Phillies will make another major move on the free agent market, though their mounting projected salary for next season suggests they may be finished with pricey additions for now.