💥 BREAKING NEWS: A troubling Kyle Schwarber free agency update sparks worry, but it may not be nearly as bad for Phillies fans as it seems ⚡.DD
There’s still hope.
Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is a sought-after free agent this offseason. The Philadelphia Phillies certainly would like to be at the front of the line, but it won’t be easy. Apparently, the Phillies and Schwarber haven’t come close to a deal yet, but that certainly doesn’t mean it still won’t happen.
Schwarber is expecting to earn a significant raise from his original four-year, $79 million deal he signed in 2022. He’s turned into one of the sport’s most feared sluggers at the plate, backed by his MVP runner-up and NL-leading 56-homer season.
The bat that helped the Phillies across four seasons is now being leveraged against them in contract negotiations.
Despite being far apart in negotiations, Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies feel inevitable
According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies aren’t close to a deal with Schwarber and his camp, but he remains the priority for them. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski understands Schwarber’s importance both as a leader and as a slugger in the lineup.
“The club and Schwarber are not close to a deal, according to sources,” Zolecki reported on Tuesday. “It isn’t a surprise at this time of year. Schwarber’s agents want to capitalize on his monstrous 2025 season, in which he finished second for NL MVP behind Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani. There’s no reason to rush it.”
MLB free agency is unlike any other period in sports. It’s slow-moving but with an ability to pick up speed instantly. We already knew that while the Phillies would like to get a deal done quickly, Schwarber’s camp isn’t in any hurry.
Zolecki notes that the general feeling is that Schwarber will return to Philadelphia. It’s just waiting to see how it plays out, similar to how J.T. Realmuto’s free agency went during the 2020-21 offseason.
There are other suitors out there, like the Boston Red Sox and a couple of NL Central teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates. Schwarber could take their money, but Phillies fans find it hard to believe that he would go somewhere where winning hasn’t been a priority for ownership, regardless of whether he grew up a Reds fan.
The Reds and Pirates also have a hard time issuing big contracts like the one Schwarber will be asking for. The Phillies have to just wait it out and be ready when it’s time to come back to the table with Schwarber and his camp.
