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ARLINGTON — The Rangers on Thursday signed star outfielder Adris Garcia to a two-year contract that includes two years of arbitration.
Garcia’s contract has $14 million guaranteed, sources told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The contract could reach $20.25 million through a series of escalators, including an MVP finish, at-bat appearances and All-MLB team selection.
The two sides had scheduled an arbitration hearing for Thursday, but the agreement means Garcia will not be eligible for arbitration until 2026, his final year in control of the club. The Rangers have yet to receive an arbitration hearing since 2000, when they won against Lee Stevens.
The 30-year-old slugger is coming off the most successful season of his career, setting career highs in home runs (39), OPS (.836) and barrel rate (16.1%). He then picked up his game in the postseason. He hit home runs in four consecutive games in the American League Championship Series, and his record-setting performance ultimately earned him ALCS MVP honors.
Garcia’s season ended early due to an oblique strain suffered in Game 4 of the World Series, but without him, the Rangers would not have won their first world championship.
Garcia earned his second All-Star selection and first Gold Glove Award in 2023. He boasted a slash line of .245/.328/.508, and had career highs in home runs (39) and walks (65 RBI).
Acquired from the Cardinals in exchange for cash before the 2020 season, Garcia posted a slash line of .246/.305/.472 over the past three seasons. This includes 97 of his dingers, 298 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases.
And Garcia has only gotten better every year, especially in his ability to control the strike zone and limit his chase rate.
During his first two years with the Rangers, Garcia ranked in the bottom 20% of major leaguers in both walk rate and strikeout rate. In 2023, his walk rate ranked in the 74th percentile. His tracking rate was in the 9th percentile in 2022, but jumped to the 41st percentile in 2023.
By increasing his plate discipline and maintaining his power, Garcia has become a more complete player over the years.
Most importantly, during his time with the club, Garcia was the heart and soul of a lineup led by AL MVP candidates Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. His highlight-worthy defensive plays combined with bat flips and struts out of the batter’s box transformed him from a late-blooming trade chip to an all-around fan favorite.
“I feel good and I’m still very happy and proud of what the team was able to accomplish,” Garcia said at Rangers Fan Fest. āIām looking forward to next year and looking forward to helping the team repeat that.ā
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