Phillies Get Their Guy: Kyle Schwarber Re-Signs For 5 Years
As if there was ever any doubt, Kyle Schwarber is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies on a shiny new five-year contract.
For the first time since Josh Naylor’s deal with the Mariners on Nov. 17, a big bat has come off the board from the free-agent market. As reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Tuesday morning, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is headed back to Philadelphia.
In his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Schwarber never hit fewer than 38 home runs in a season, and is fresh off a second-place finish in National League MVP voting. A league-leading 56 home run, 132 RBI campaign netted the DH a nice deal in both dollars and length, as he returns to Philadelphia on a five-year, $150 million contract.
The contract will make Schwarber the highest-paid pure-DH in the sport, as his earnings are topped only by Shohei Ohtani.
Schwarber’s market heated up in recent days, with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles reportedly all checking in on the 32-year-old slugger. In the end, Dave Dombrowski put his foot down and made it clear that nobody was going to take the linchpin of his offense and clubhouse.
In his 2025 contract year, Schwarber set career highs in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS. However, last year was far from an outlier; Schwarber drove in 100 or more runs in the past three seasons.
Phillies Re-Sign Kyle Schwarber
His crowning moment came on Aug. 28, as he slammed four home runs and drove in nine in a 19-4 win over the division rival Atlanta Braves.
With fellow veterans Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos having down seasons by their respective standards, Schwarber — despite a .240 batting average — was the most consistent hitter on a Phillies team that won 96 games and easily won the NL East.
For reference, as a team, they hit 212 home runs. Schwarber alone supplied more than a quarter of them. Additionally, by every account, he is a crucial piece of Philadelphia’s clubhouse culture and has played more than 150 games in each of the past four seasons, including all 162 in ‘25.
Debuting in 2015, Schwarber is a known commodity. His goal is to slug and will not be sold short. In 11 seasons, he has 340 career home runs, having hit 30 or more seven times. Schwarber has crossed the 40 longball threshold on three occasions.
Strikeouts and low batting average are par for the course, but after hitting .197 in 2023, Schwarber seemingly made an adjustment as he hit .244 over the ensuing two years.
At the very least, he is an on-base machine, drawing 100 or more walks in each of the last three years with an OBP over .360 in each of the last two.
Schwarber has been a force in the playoffs throughout his career, slamming 23 home runs in 73 postseason games to go with a .907 OPS. The Phillies rewarded this excellence by giving him a big deal for the second time. In 2022, the team gave him a four-year, $79 million contract after a 2021 season split between Washington and Boston.
Replacing his presence would have been difficult, as Schwarber was one of the three-to-five best offensive pieces available on the open market.
First Domino to Fall
It was rumored on Monday night that Schwarber could be the first big domino to fall on the offensive market, with teams waiting on his decision.
According to Passan, “[Schwarber’s] signing is expected to accelerate a free agent market that, to this point, has moved slowly.”
The signing leaves Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and Pete Alonso as the biggest hitters still up for grabs.
Schwarber’s case was interesting because, along with the usual suitors (Phillies, Red Sox, Mets), several small markets threw their names into the hat for his services. With Schwarber being an Ohio native, the idea of his going to Cincinnati was floated. It was also revealed that the Pirates offered him a four-year, $120 million deal.
To get the job done, Dombrowski and company simply took Pittsburgh’s offer and added a year for the same annual value.
What’s Next For the Phillies?
Schwarber was the top priority on Philadelphia’s board for the offseason. Replacing his production would be difficult, despite rumored ties to Tucker and Alonso.
Pending the outcome of Ranger Suarez’s free agency, they can certainly use another starter, while they may also need to replace veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto, who is also a free agent. According to our Michael Fisher, re-signing both Schwarber and Realmuto should top the Phillies’ offseason wishlist. So far, so good in that regard.
Whether they bring Realmuto back or not remains to be seen, but at the bare minimum, Philadelphia can guarantee the presence of arguably the most prolific home run hitter in the game for the foreseeable future.
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An aspiring sportswriter, George Caratzas' life is centered around the diamond. Based in the New York metro area, he covers the New York Mets for Just…