By Alex Al-Kazzaz
The Texas Rangers and outfielder Adolis García have avoided salary arbitration by agreeing on a new deal. The deal is for two years and $14 million. The arbitration hearing had originally been scheduled for Thursday since García and the organization failed to reach an agreement before last month's deadline. However, as of now, García has passed his physical, and the deal is official.
The two-time All-Star is coming off quite a season. He hit a career-high of 39 homers and 107 RBIs, along with being named ALCS MVP in what was quite a playoff series against Houston. García would also be the recipient of the Babe Ruth award last year and would earn his first Gold Glove award. He would also help the Texas Rangers win the World Series for the first time despite coming down with an injury, which forced him to miss the final two games.
García has been a valuable asset for the Rangers since his breakout in 2021. His unique ability to blast home runs speaks highly for itself. Overall, his strong ability to play the game has given the Rangers no choice but to retain him at all costs. His .357 batting average, five home runs, and 15 RBIs in the ALCS last season are career highlights, along with the game-winning home run in Game 1 of the World Series. García has built his major league career and legacy in Texas, so he'll continue the journey where it has started.
As the defending champions, the Rangers have a lot of expectations coming into the 2024 season. The club is looking to build on their historic championship triumph in hopes of winning it all again. With the likes of the LA Dodgers and Houston Astros heavy favorites for baseball's ultimate prize, the Rangers have some adjustments to make if they're to solidify themselves as favorites in the coming seasons.
Last year, the Rangers had the lowest possibility of making the World Series, and they went on to win it. This season, defying expectations has to be one of the most important objectives.
(Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)