Phillies' $10 million deal for Adolis Garcia receives heavy criticism from ESPN

The Philadelphia Phillies have been searching for outfield help this offseason, and while they aren't likely to go after Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, they did make one free agent signing.

Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies are signing Adolis Garcia, the former Texas Rangers outfielder, to a one-year, $10 million deal. It's a risky signing, but with how bad Nick Castellanos was in 2025 for the Phillies, Garcia should prove a solid upgrade.

But, in the eyes of ESPN's David Schoenfield, this free agent deal was a mistake for the Phillies. Schoenfield criticized the deal for its lack of impact and how it's not much of a change from Castellanos.

Phillies receive heavy criticism from ESPN on $10 million Adolis Garcia signing

"Seemingly stuck with Castellanos, they decided to add a new right fielder anyway in Adolis Garcia." Schoenfield writes. "They may be replacing Castellanos with ... somebody worse than Castellanos."

This first point - that Castellanos is better than Garcia - is the main reason why the Phillies received a "D" grade for this signing. While Castellanos hit better than Garcia in 2025, there was a massive difference in defense.

Castellanos hit .250 with a .694 OPS, while Garcia hit .227 with a .665 OPS. It's a sizeable difference, and is the reason why ESPN doesn't view this signing favorably.

But, the Phillies made this deal with the intention of Garcia bouncing back from his down 2025 season, and getting back to his 2023 self, who dominated the Majors with 39 home runs and a 1.108 OPS in the postseason en route to a World Series title.

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"You can't completely dismiss the idea of a rebound from Garcia," Schoenfield writes, "and a one-year deal is always acceptable -- but this looks like a low-impact move, at best minor upgrade on Castellanos."

Schoenfield is levying heavy criticism on the Phillies for this free agent deal. While there's some risk involved, the 32-year-old outfielder could turn things around, and if he doesn't, a $10 million investment is worth the risk.

This criticism doesn't factor in that Garcia could have a drastic turnaround this season. While it might not be likely, Garcia has proven to be a streaky hitter, and in playing with the Phillies lineup in contention for a World Series, he could turn things around quickly.

While Schoenfield doesn't like this signing, giving it a "D" grade, it's a move that's worth the risk for the Phillies. Instead of spending big on a free agent, Garcia, who has had his moments over the years, is worth the flier.

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