The Philadelphia Phillies have a whole lot of work to do this offseason, and much of it involves deciding what to do with their own free agents.
The biggest name of the bunch is Kyle Schwarber, who racked up 56 home runs and 132 RBI to go along with a .928 OPS in 2025 and has spent the last four seasons mashing balls over the fence at Citizens Bank Park.
But is Schwarber going to remain with the Phillies?
That’s the most pressing question for Philadelphia heading into the MLB Winter Meetings, which began this Sunday and conclude on Dec. 10.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan has a feeling the Phillies will know what Schwarber is doing relatively soon.
“Kyle Schwarber: The bellwether of the class,” Passan wrote on Threads. “Schwarber’s market is healthy. He’s going to get years, and he’s going to get AAV, and at this point, he might be the likeliest of the big free agents to sign first. Unclear if something gets done before the meetings, but I’d be surprised if they end and he doesn’t have a team. The Phillies remain the favorite, with Boston, Cincinnati, the Mets and others in the mix.”
Basically, Passan is expecting Schwarber to make his decision rather quickly, and contrary to the belief of some that Schwarber may not have the most robust market, there is apparently considerable interest in the 32-year-old.
Of course, the downside to Schwarber is that he is essentially a full-time designated hitter. He played in all 162 games this past season, with 154 of them coming in the DH role.
Schwarber’s inability to effectively play the field will unquestionably have an adverse effect on his value, but at the same time, just about every team around baseball would love to add a slugger who bashed 45-plus homers in three of the last four campaigns.
The Phillies are in a tough spot right now. They have been bounced from the NLDS each of the last two years, so changes are obviously needed. However, re-signing Schwarber would likely prevent them from making any other major moves in free agency (like signing Kyle Tucker, for example).
But can Philadelphia afford to let such a prolific power hitter to walk? We are about to find out.
