The Phillies tried to sign Kyle Schwarber to an extension in the offseason, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. With the way he is swinging the bat early — and the stunning lack of top free agents in next year’s class — the Phillies could regret not closing the deal.
Schwarber is batting .288 with six home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.114 OPS through his first 64 plate appearances. It’s early, but Schwarber is building on adjustments from last year that made him a more well-rounded hitter. He is a ridiculous 9-for-18 with three home runs against left-handed pitching. He has struck out in 20.3% of his plate appearances. If that number holds, it would be the lowest strikeout rate of his career by seven points. He is no longer talked about as a “three true outcomes” hitter.
Schwarber has repeatedly expressed interest in signing another contract with the Phillies, but as Rosenthal mentioned in his report, he is also content with playing out his free agent year.
He could be handsomely rewarded for staying patient.
The top free agent next year is outfielder Kyle Tucker now that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is off the market after signing a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Toronto Blue Jays. Outside of Tucker, there are not many other bats on the market that are of Schwarber’s caliber. Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman can opt out of their respective deals. Braves DH Marcell Ozuna is also a free agent, but he’ll hit the market at age 35.
Being strictly a DH will hurt him, although he is still taking fly balls in the outfield and staying ready at first base. But scarcity, combined with an excellent platform year, could drive up Schwarber’s price.
Joe Pederson’s two-year, $37 million deal with the Texas Rangers should be the absolute minimum for Schwarber. Pederson is a DH. He is also a platoon bat, unlike Schwarber. He has only three plate appearances against left-handed pitching this season.
You have to wonder if Schwarber’s next deal could exceed the $79 million in total value he received from the Phillies prior to the 2022 season. Since that year, only Aaron Judge has hit more home runs than Schwarber. He has become indispensable for the Phillies both on the field and in the clubhouse. It will be fascinating to see how the two sides approach his free agency after this year.
