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What Phillies Must Pay to Keep Kyle Schwarber After Historic Season
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- What Phillies Must Pay to Keep Kyle Schwarber After Historic Season
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is having one of the greatest walk years in MLB history and he's going to be rewarded handsomely this winter. Thanks to Schwarber's NL-leading 53 home runs and MLB-best 128 RBI, the Phillies became back-to-back National League East champions after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night in a potential playoff preview.
Even though the Phillies have their sights set on the World Series, the big question mark remains whether Schwarber will be back in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future — and if so, how much it will cost. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal revealed Tuesday on the "Foul Territory" podcast what sort of contract Schwarber will command.
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"My guess, and it's just a guess, is four years at $30 million per year or even a little bit more than that," Rosenthal said. "I would expect the Phillies are going to do that because they love Kyle Schwarber as they should, not just for what he does on the field, but also in their clubhouse."
Unprecedented Market Position for Aging DH
Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Rosenthal added that it's "very much unprecedented" where Schwarber sits in his career as he enters the free agent market because there's really no comparable player.
"Next year he's going to be 33 years old — he turns 33 in March — and he'll be a DH. He doesn't really play the outfield, so we're talking about a 33-year-old DH," explained Rosenthal. "There aren't many of those guys that in recent years have been in Kyle Schwarber's level of play. Really none. You don't have a list of players you can turn to and say, 'This guy made this. That guy made that. Let's give Kyle Schwarber this or let's think that's what his value should be.'"
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Schwarber is in the final year of a four-year, $79 million contract he signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2022 season, and calling it a bargain is an understatement. During his Philadelphia tenure spanning 616 games, the three-time All-Star has 184 home runs, an .859 OPS, 134 OPS+ and 11.5 bWAR.
What might be even more impressive is how he's become a better hitter against left-handed pitching. He has hit 22 home runs against southpaws, tying a single-season MLB record for home runs by a left-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher. He also has a .971 OPS against lefties this year, up from an already impressive .898 in 2024. In his first year with the Phillies, Schwarber had just a .687 OPS against left-handed pitchers.
Schwarber and the Phillies discussed a contract extension last winter but the two sides were apart on numbers. Schwarber has consistently said he wants to stay in Philadelphia and the Phillies want to retain him long-term. Bryce Harper might be the face of the franchise, but Schwarber is the leader inside the clubhouse. Losing him would be devastating, and Phillies fans would revolt.
The Phillies will most likely get a deal done with Schwarber this winter, but it's not guaranteed as other teams are lurking — specifically his hometown Cincinnati Reds , who would love to add his bat to their lineup.
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