Philly loves — just absolutely loves — the Schwarbarian. That’s why it’s priority No. 1 for the Phillies to sign designated hitter Kyle Schwarber to a contract extension. But it’s not looking too good, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, who said “talks failed to advance” between Schwarber and the team during the offseason.
Rosenthal pointed out that Schwarber is willing going year to year, similar to when he snubbed an extension with the Cubs early in his career.
Schwarber has reached the final year of a $79 million, four-year deal, which may be Dave Dombrowski’s best signing since becoming Phillies president of baseball operations before the 2021 season.
Since 2022, Schwarber’s 142 home runs rank second only to Aaron Judge’s 168. And Schwarber — once a one-dimensional masher — has evolved into a more complete hitter. Last season, he hit 12 of his 38 bombs off left-handed pitching while batting a remarkable .300 against lefties. Going in Tuesday’s action against the Giants, he’s tied for the MLB lead in homers with six and totes a respectable .259 average.
And most notably: Schwarber has struck out in just 22.2% of his plate appearances this season. If he maintains that pace, it would be his lowest strikeout rate of his career by five points. As Phillies writer Destiny Lugardo noted Schwarber “is no longer talked about as a ‘three true outcomes’ hitter.”
But his true value is his attitude — his leadership. “When you talk about clubhouse leaders, that’s something that’s thrown around a lot,” Dombrowski said a couple years ago. “Throughout all my years, not very many people qualify for that. Kyle does.”
When spring training began, Schwarber said he wants to stay in Philly. “We’ll see,” he said. “I know there’s interest on our side. We’ll see what happens throughout this camp, if they approach us and we get deeper and deeper into discussion… The best line I’ve ever heard on that is from Jon Lester — the best way to get paid is to win — so I’ll just focus on that. It’s what I’ve always focused on.”
Truth be told, the best financial route for Schwarber may be free agency. The free-agent crop next year looks pretty thin. The lone marquee name is Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker. Braves DH Marcell Ozuna will be a free agent, but, at 35, he won’t get a long-term deal. The Mets’ Pete Alonso and Red Sox’ Alex Bregman hold opt-outs to their current deals but also could sign extensions during the ’25 season.
If he does become a free agent, Schwarber’s biggest drawback is that he’s limited in the field. He still takes fly balls just in case he’s needed in the outfield and he also can play first base, but, since arriving in Philadelphia, he’s almost exclusively a DH.
Surely, if the Phillies were to extend Schwarber, they would have to do better than the two-year, $37 million contract that DH Joc Pederson, a platoon player, got from the Texas Rangers.
Before we go, please enjoy a classic Schwarbomb…
