The Philadelphia Phillies have reached a one-year agreement with Adolis García, potentially upgrading their right field defense.

The Phillies have identified a successor to Nick Castellanos for the right field position.

Sources confirmed today that the Phillies are close to securing a one-year, $10 million deal with Adolis García for the 2026 season. The transaction remains unannounced as it awaits completion of his physical.

The 32-year-old García is expected to become the Phillies’ right fielder once everything is finalized. At minimum, the team hopes he will provide improved defense in right field compared to Castellanos. Furthermore, they anticipate García will rebound offensively after two underwhelming seasons with the Texas Rangers—who chose not to renew his contract in November—thus adding more firepower to the team’s right side of the batting order.

This year with the Rangers, García posted a .227 batting average with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs, an OPS of .665, and an OPS+ of 91. Over the past two years, his combined OPS was .675 with an OPS+ of 96. However, from 2021 to 2023, García had a combined OPS of .777 and OPS+ of 113, earning two American League All-Star selections and being named the 2023 AL Championship Series MVP.

Despite offensive struggles, García’s defense has remained above average. According to Baseball Savant, his Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field for 2025 was +1, ranking 12th among 36 qualified right fielders. In contrast, Castellanos ranked tied for last with a -12 OAA in this metric.

The Phillies have repeatedly stated during this offseason that they are trying to find a “fresh start” for Castellanos, despite the remaining $20 million on his five-year, $100 million contract. Sources say that even with the Phillies willing to pay Castellanos millions, there has been almost no trade interest. Some reports indicate that if a trade does occur, it will likely happen late in the offseason. If no takers emerge, Castellanos is expected to be released.

It would be surprising if he appears at spring training in February. Castellanos was benched in June during a game against the Miami Marlins for inappropriate behavior in the dugout, with Phillies manager Rob Thomson substituting him for defensive reasons. Castellanos also voiced dissatisfaction with Thomson again in September.

In his four seasons with the Phillies, Castellanos has posted a slash line of .260/.306/.426, an OPS of .732, and an OPS+ of 100, indicating his offensive contributions are only league average. His cumulative -32 OAA ranks seventh worst among 267 qualified players over the past four seasons. This year, among 145 qualified players, he ranked last with a -0.6 fWAR and -1 bWAR.

In contrast, García contributed 2.7 bWAR and 0.7 fWAR this season.

Currently, the Phillies’ outfield roster might feature a combination of García, Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Otto Kemp, and Weston Wilson. Johan Rojas remains on the 40-man roster and will compete for a spot. Pedro Leon and Gabriel Rincones Jr. are also included on the 40-man roster.

The Phillies have expressed interest in re-signing free agent outfielder Harrison Bader, but sources at last week’s winter meetings indicated that if Philadelphia successfully signs both Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, they may forgo pursuing Bader. Schwarber signed a five-year, $150 million deal last week. The Phillies have made an offer to Realmuto, and team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski expressed optimism about both players returning.

Signing García to a one-year contract likely reinforces the team’s stance on Bader—who is reportedly seeking a three-year deal, though this remains uncertain.