The Texas Rangers Non-Tendered Former Playoff Hero Adolis García

Until a major league player has six years of service time, his continued employment is at the whim of the team that employs him. By the Friday before Thanksgiving, a team must decide if it is going to tender that type of player a contract for the upcoming season. For the first three years, the teams decides if they want to keep the player AND the amount of compensation (which, of course, must be above the major league minimum ($780,000 for 2026)). While the team has no obligation to offer more than the minimum, numerous conversations with general managers reveal that they offer more “just because.”

For players with at least three years of service time, the team can either non-tender (i.e., cut the player), or offer a contract, which starts the arbitration process, which we will get into at a later date. After three years of being “arbitration eligible,” a player becomes a free agent and can shop his wares to any potential suitor.

Offering a contract to a player insures that he will remain on the club’s 40-man roster, and thus it is an important decision that has long-term implications.

As of last Friday’s deadline, 66 players were “non-tendered,” and thus they are now free agents and able to sign with whomever they like (or, really, whoever will take them). There are a few notable names on the list, including eight-year veteran Mike Tauchman, seven-year veteran Nathaniel Lowe, never-lived-up-to-the-promise Christopher Morel, had-a-moment-but-then-flamed-out Alek Manoah, and once-a-cornerstone-but-now-an-afterthought JJ Bleday.

But arguably the most interesting name on that list is Adolis García, formerly of the Texas Rangers. Many of you may remember García from the 2023 post-season, when he went on an absolute tear. In 15 games between the Division Series, the Championship Series, and the World Series, he slashed .323/.382/.726, with eight home runs and 22 RBI. His performance garnered him the ALCS MVP. That post-season was not a fluke, as he was an All-Star that season (his second appearance), came in 14^th in MVP voting, and also won a Gold Glove.

After 2023, to avoid arbitration, the Rangers and García agreed on a two-year, $14 million contract, which expired when the World Series ended. MLB Trade Rumors predicted a one-year, $12.1 million contract for 2026, which was too rich for a club that many believe is looking to shed salary this winter. Of the five players to whom they could have tendered contracts, they only did so for outfielder Sam Haggerty who Trade Rumors has pegged at less than $1.5 million. And while this article was being written, the team traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in return for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo is owed $101.25 million over the next five years ($20.25 million per year) and Semien is owed $72 million over the next three ($24 million per year). Assuming no cash changed hands, this trade saved Texas just under $4 million per year over the next three campaigns. Look for more of this type of cost cutting in the coming weeks/months.

Over the two years of the previous deal, García slashed .225/.278/.397, for a total of 3.0 bWAR. This, despite the fact that he hit 44 home runs and drove in 160 over that two-year period. His on-base percentage was less than .300 both years, he barely slugged .400, and had an OPS+ of 98 and 93, respectively. That is not a player the team felt like committing eight figures to.

It has been a mighty fall for a fall hero, but he will land on his feet. There should be a team out there looking for outfield help who is willing to pay $8-$10 million for a player with a potentially electric bat, a cannon for an arm, and an infectious smile.

Just a brief sampling shows that the Guardians (especially if they move Steven Kwan), Cubs, Padres, Astros, Reds, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Nationals, Orioles (but less so now that they have traded for outfielder Taylor Ward from the Angels) are looking for outfield help.

The $8-$10 million question is which player you will be getting. García will be 33 on Opening Day. Essentially all of his stats have fallen each season since 2023 (he went from 27 to 28 doubles and 11 to 13 stolen bases last year, so there is that). But, he still has the capability of hitting the ball hard and far. According to Baseball Savant, he is in the 89^th percentile in exit velocity (average of 92.1 mph) and in the 70^th percentile of hard hit percentage. But his walk rate and strike out rate continue to stubbornly fall below league average, so any acquiring team will need to deal with a lot of swing-and-miss (10^th percentile in chase rate at 35.7%) and few free passes.

That said, if a team is looking to take a flier at a reasonable rate, Adolis García could be a great addition. But, I wouldn’t expect that he is at the top of any team’s wish list, so it may be until well into spring training before we learn where the slugger lands.