Could Kyle Schwarber really leave the Philadelphia Phillies? It feels unlikely, considering he’s spent the past four seasons in Philadelphia and has been a major contributor to the team’s success — but the possibility can’t be completely dismissed.
In fact, former MLB general manager Steve Phillips believes there’s a “good chance” Schwarber moves on from the Phillies, and he even identified the Cincinnati Reds as a potential destination for the power hitter.
Phillips noted that Schwarber’s market will likely come down to who will be willing to give him an extra year. The general consensus is that he will bag a four-year contract, but Phillips thinks that if someone is okay with going to five years, Schwarber will sign with that team.
The 32-year-old slashed .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and 132 RBI over 724 plate appearances in 2025, playing in every single game.
Schwarber initially signed with the Phillies back in March 2022 and has enjoyed the most impressive stretch of his big-league career in the City of Brotherly Love, smashing over 45 homers in three of his four season with the club.
The Middletown, Oh. broke into the majors with the Chicago Cubs back in 2015 and spent the first six seasons of his career with the Cubs. He then briefly landed with the Washington Nationals in 2021 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox midseason.
Overall, Schwarber has slashed .231/.346/.500 throughout his major-league tenure, and while his strikeout rate is astronomically high, he compensates for it with elite power and a terrific walk rate.
The downside to the former first-round pick is that he can’t play the field. Schwarber has played catcher, outfield and, briefly, first base, but he has not been good at any one position. As a result, h has settled at designated hitter now that he is into his 30s.
That could drive Schwarber’s price down in free agency, but his bat is so good that teams may be willing to overlook his lack of defensive acumen.
We’ll see if Philadelphia deems Schwarber imperative enough to re-sign even if it takes giving him a five-year pact.
The Phillies have been bounced from the NLDS each of the last two years, so changes should be coming for the squad this winter.
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