Adolis

Garcia

García is slated to replace Nick Castellanos as the Phillies’ right fielder, though Castellanos will remain on the roster until the team can find someone willing to take on a portion of his $20 million salary. It may or may not prove to be an offensive upgrade for the Phillies, but García has had the better OPS+ of the two three of the last four seasons (2024 was the exception) and he’ll be a big upgrade on defense. The ballpark switch should be big for García’s fantasy value, as Globe Life Park has really punished right-handed hitters the last couple of years. He’ll still likely be a liability in terms of batting average, but he could bounce back to 25-30 homers and make a run at 90 RBI.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirmed the agreement shortly after Romero’s initial report. It looks like the Phillies have replaced Nick Castellanos before the inevitable trade that will ship him out of town. García, the 2023 ALCS MVP, is coming off back-to-back down seasons, but he has a Gold Glove in his past and 30-home run power, so perhaps moving to Philadelphia for a change of scenery could help him recapture some of that magic. It certainly hasn’t helped his cause that Globe Life Field has been about as tough of a ballpark for right-handed hitters as any in the league the last couple of years. He should benefit from hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park and Philadelphia’s strong lineup, which makes him a top-60 range outfielder in fantasy drafts next spring.

There were multiple reports that the Rangers were trying to find a trade partner for García, but no there were evidently zero suitors. The 32-year-old power/speed combo outfielder batted just .227/.271/.394 with 19 homers and 13 stolen bases as Texas wound up missing the postseason this past year. He’ll likely find at least a one-year prove-it deal with a new club, but fantasy managers should be hesitant in believing in García based on his struggles over the last two campaigns where he’s experienced steep declines in both hard hit and barrel percentage.

García has been battling injuries the last few seasons and is entering the final year of his contract. He hit .227/.271/.394 last season with 19 home runs and 13 steals. His power production and batting average have fallen off from his 2023 high, and Jonah Heim also regressed back down to earth after his outstanding 2023 season. Passan notes that both of them could be non-tendered if a deal is not made.

It’s a bit surprising to see García return to Texas’ lineup with nothing at stake during the final weekend of the regular season, but he’s back at DH and batting cleanup for Saturday’s nationally-televised showdown in Cleveland. The 32-year-old power-hitter sat out three consecutive games earlier third week due to a lingering quad issue.

The 32-year-old slugger has been dealing with a nagging quad injury and with nothing left to play for there’s no real reason for the Rangers to push him, much to the chagrin of Tigers’ fans who would like to see the Rangers put their best effort forward against the Guardians. Billy McKinney will make his third straight start in right field and will bat eighth against Guardians’ right-hander Slade Cecconi.

García was on the bench on Wednesday, as well, after starting on Tuesday; however, he also missed both games over the weekend due to a quad injury. It remains to be seen if the Rangers will feel the need to play the 32-year-old while he’s at less than 100 percent, but he doesn’t need to be on rosters in redraft fantasy leagues anymore. Billy McKinney will start in right field for the second straight game since being called up from Triple-A.

Garcia still isn’t 100 percent after missing time with a quad strain, so he’ll likely close out the season as a part-timer.

Rangers’ skipper Bruce Bochy has admitted that García is still not back to 100 percent yet and will continue to get sporadic days off for the remainder of the season. Ezequiel Duran will start in his place in right field on Saturday and will bat eighth against Adam Mazur and the Marlins on Saturday evening in Arlington.

It’s a bit surprising to see García in there after Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that he’s still not back at 100 percent yet and would probably need another day off. The 32-year-old is back in right field and batting fifth in Wednesday’s pivotal showdown against the Astros.