The Philadelphia Phillies are operating on a level of financial commitment that proves they’re doing the most they can to put a winning ball club on the field. Their desire has been to bring in the necessary players to bring home a World Series trophy, even if that means shelling out massive amounts of money to get it done. The contracts have been committed, the stars have shined, and the players have bought into what the Phillies are trying to do. This team still has all the makings of being an all-time great team.
Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was signed as a free agent in 2022 and, as much as it was an under-the-radar move at the time, has a chance to be remembered as a Phillies legend. Schwarber has put up the raw numbers during the regular season, has had big postseason moments, and has become an effortless leader in the clubhouse.
Hope remains that the Phillies can retain Schwarber with a contract extension during the season, but one MLB insider indicates that it’s unlikely.
A Kyle Schwarber extension with the Phillies seems unlikely after offseason talks broke down
The 2025 season marks the final year of a four-year deal that Schwarber signed with the Phillies. Coming into his walk-year, mutual interest remained for both sides, but an agreement wasn’t finalized. Even before the talks started, it was glowingly obvious that extending Schwarber was the next move.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, an offer was extender to Schwarber during the offseason, but those initial talks failed to come to anything (subscription required).
Rosenthal points out that Schwarber happy going year to year after the Chicago Cubs tried to sign him to a long-term extension early in his career. He signed one-year deals in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 before hitting free agency and moving on to the Washington Nationals. Rosenthal says that the slugger is comfortable playing out his free-agent year, despite wanting to stay in Philadelphia.
Kyle Schwarber’s value is climbing with each passing day
A new deal is becoming more unlikely by the day, with the regular season in full swing and Schwarber being more inclined to focus on helping the Phillies right now. His demand will surely be high if he hits free agency, with his value growing massively as a vital part of the Phillies’ multiple postseason runs.
He also looks locked in so far in 2025, hitting .288 with a 1.114 OPS with six home runs and 12 RBIs. Since 2022, only Aaron Judge has hit more home runs than Schwarber. He’s been a major catalyst for jumpstarting the offense no matter he is in the batting order, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. In his three-plus seasons with the Phillies, Schwarber has a .223 batting average, hit 137 home runs, 314 RBIs and an .840 OPS.
It’s unclear how the Phillies would proceed without their reigning home run king, but Phillies fans don’t really want to find out. Schwarber has a chance to test himself in free agency and get his worth, Philadelphia just hopes that means returning to Citizens Bank Park as a Phillie for years to come.
