Postseason star Adolis Garcia and the Texas Rangers avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a two-year contract on Thursday, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Per MLB Network, the deal is worth $14 million guaranteed with escalators that could make it as high as $20.25 million.
The outfielder belted the game-winning homer in the 11th inning of Game 1 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That blast gave him 22 RBIs during the postseason, breaking the mark set by the St. Louis Cardinals’ David Freese in 2011 against the Rangers — the most recent time Texas reached the Fall Classic prior to last season.
Garcia, 30, had never played in a postseason game before last year. He knocked in one run (on a homer) in the Rangers’ two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in an American League wild-card series, then drove in four and homered once as Texas swept the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game AL Division Series.
In the Rangers’ seven-game triumph over the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series, Garcia was selected the Most Valuable Player after knocking in 15 runs — the most ever by a player in a single postseason series. He batted .357 (10-for-28) with five homers in the ALCS.
Garcia got to 22 RBIs through his first 13 playoff games last year, while Freese played in 18 games in the 2011 postseason.
During the regular season last year, Garcia hit .245 with a .328 on-base percentage, a .508 slugging percentage, 39 homers and 107 RBIs in 148 games. He earned his second career All-Star team selection.
Garcia is a career .244 hitter with 97 homers and 299 RBIs in 477 career games.
