Cincinnati Reds Should Sign Veteran Slugger in Free Agency

The Reds desperately need more offensive firepower heading into the 2026 season, and one player who makes a lot of sense is free-agent outfielder Adolis García.

Garcia was non-tendered by the Texas Rangers last week. The Rangers felt he was not worth the estimated $12 million he was set to make.

Let's dig into the pros and cons of signing Garcia.

Pros

Power Bat

The Reds lack power, and Gracia would provide pop in the middle of the order. Over the last five seasons, Garcia has hit 19, 25, 39, 27, and 31 home runs. He is a guy that you can pencil in for 25-35 home runs at Great American Ball Park. To put that in perspective, Elly De La Cruz led the Reds with 22 home runs last season.

Despite his struggles lately, Garcia still hits the ball hard. His average exit velocity of 92.1 mph ranks him in the 89th percentile in the league. His barrel percentage of 73 and hard-hit percentage of 70 also land him in the upper echelon of the league.

Plus Defender

Garcia won a Gold Glove in the outfield in 2023. While his Outs Above Average was just 1 in 2025, for a slugger who hits the ball out of the ballpark, anything net positive is a win. To put that number in perspective, Spencer Steer had an Outs Above Average of -3 in left field last season, while Gavin Lux was -6.

Garcia also has a big arm, ranking him in the 92nd percentile in arm strength in all of Major League Baseball.

Cons

Struggles Over Last Two Seasons

After having the best season of his career in 2023 and helping the Rangers win a World Series, Garcia has seen his numbers decline big time over the last two seasons.

In 2024, Garcia slashed .224/.284/.400 with 52 extra-base hits, including 25 home runs. In 2025, the outfielder slashed .227/.271/.394 with 47 extra-base hits, including 19 home runs.

Doesn't Walk

Garcia's numbers would be much better if he drew a walk from time to time, but over the last two seasons, he has been impatient at the plate, walking just 7.1% of the time in 2023 and 5.1% of the time in 2024.

In 2023, during his breakout season, his walk percentage was 10.3.

Chases

A big reason Garcia doesn't walk is because he chases pitches outside of the zone 35.7% of the time. Due to chasing so much, he also strikes out 28% of the time. Both of those rank in the bottom third of the league.

My Thoughts

Garcia could look for a one-year prove-it type deal to show his numbers the last two seasons were a fluke. That is the exact kind of deal that the Reds should be in on. If it goes well, great. If it goes poorly, you're out of his contract next season.

The Reds desperately need a power bat to protect Elly De La Cruz in the lineup and Garcia provides that need.

The Reds should do everything they can to get Garcia to come to Cincinnati.