The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into an offseason where a lot can change as the contracts of several core players come to an end. It’s safe to say that the biggest name everyone will be watching is free agent Kyle Schwarber. Even teammate Bryce Harper admits it would feel strange without him.
“I was talking to somebody the other day,” Harper told MLB.com. “And I was like, ‘Man, it would be weird not to have [Schwarber] in our clubhouse.’ He’s such a good leader. He’s such a good person in the community. Great family, great person. I think he’s a guy that obviously our team can build around. Obviously, he’s going to make a lot of money [as a free agent]. He’s going to be a very hot commodity on the market.”
To bring Schwarber back to the City of Brotherly Love, it’s going to take a massive contract.
“According to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the expectation is that Schwarber is seeking a five-year deal close to $30 million annually. That could end up around the $150 million range by the time he puts pen to paper. It’s a lot of money to attribute to any slugger, given he’ll turn 33 next season,” TBOH’s Matt Davis wrote.
It’s hard to imagine any scenario this offseason where the Phillies don’t re-sign Schwarber.
“In the end, bringing back Schwarber from both a production and a clubhouse leadership standpoint might simply be too important for the Phillies not to spend whatever it takes to keep him,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote.
Schwarber has been on the brink of winning his second World Series with Philadelphia, and that alone could be a major factor in his return.
The Phillies made a splash when they signed Schwarber a few years ago, and they may need to do the same again. His bat simply isn’t replaceable. If it weren’t for Shohei Ohtani, Schwarber might have won MVP this season.
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