Is Bryce Harper the best Philadelphia Phillies free agent signing EVER?

Today marks 6 years since the Philadelphia Phillies shocked the baseball world by signing superstar free agent Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million contract. Six years, one MVP, and three postseason trips later, is Bryce Harper the best free agent signing in Phillies franchise history? We’ll rank the top 5, including Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber from the current Phillies, and two Hall of Famers, as well.

Phillies Raise Eyebrows With Kyle Schwarber News on Thursday..

The Phillies will have veteran slugger Kyle Schwarber play at first base, which he hasn’t done since 2021.

The Philadelphia Phillies are back on the diamond on Thursday as they continue Grapefruit League action in Florida. The Phillies are coming off a 9-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to move to 2-2 in Spring Training.

On Thursday, the Phillies will face off against the New York Yankees for the first of five meetings in Spring Training. Philadelphia will have a few of its everyday starters in the lineup, including veteran slugger Kyle Schwarber.

Schwarber will hit from the leadoff spot for the Phillies, but he won’t be handling designated hitter duties, which has been his role since joining the team in 2022. Instead, Johan Rojas will be the DH, while Schwarber will play first base, per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports.

First game Kyle Schwarber will play 1B in a #Phillies uniform today.

Edmundo Sosa is also playing LF.

— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) February 27, 2025
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the last time Schwarter played first base was in Game 6 of the 2021 ALCS with the Boston Red Sox. Gelb adds that the veteran has been going through strenuous morning sessions with infield coach Bobby Dickerson.

First game Kyle Schwarber will play 1B in a #Phillies uniform today.

Edmundo Sosa is also playing LF.

— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) February 27, 2025
With it being early in Spring Training, this is the perfect opportunity to get Schwarber some reps at first base to see how he fares from a defensive perspective. Over his 11-year career, he has only played 11 games at first base, including nine starts.

If Schwarber handles first base duties well on Thursday, manager Rob Thomson could change the lineup at various points in the regular season.

For example, he could give Bryce Harper a break at first base and move Schwarber into his spot, freeing up someone else to be the designated hitter. The only other first base backup options Thomson has are Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto (to a lesser extent). Bohm has played 119 games at first base during his five-year career.

After Thursday’s game against the Yankees, the Phillies will invite the Boston Red Sox to BayCare Ballpark on Friday afternoon.