Kyle Schwarber’s free agency tour has begun, and it doesn’t look good for the Phillies
Kyle Schwarber returned to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, this week to be honored by his former high school, which has named its baseball field after the slugger. While this is a touching ceremony and a well-deserved honor, the fact that it’s been timed to coincide with his free agency tour is no coincidence.
The Schmoozing of Kyle Schwarber has officially begun:
Kyle Schwarber said he and his family will spend a lot of time back home in Middletown in the future.
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) November 20, 2025
As the NL MVP runner-up gears up for free agency, he spoke with our @Porters_Videos about potential interest from his hometown Reds: pic.twitter.com/jvO1vsF1mZ
Tugging on the hometown heartstrings is dastardly work from the community to get Schwarber to come home and sign with the Reds, but you’ve got to pull out all the stops for a guy like this.
Now, will the Reds actually open up their pocketbook and pay the man what he’s worth? My guess would probably be no. There’s the possibility of a hometown discount, but based on the reporting going around, Schwarber will command an eye-popping number.
Schwarber is expected to sign a contract for around 5 years, $130+ million, a steep pay raise from his $19.76 million AAV deal with the Phillies. Again, hometown discount notwithstanding.
The emphasis on spending time at home with his family in this clip is not promising for Phillies fans. I love the guy, as does the whole city, but a massive 5-year deal for a 32-year-old DH is hard to stomach and could prevent the team from improving elsewhere.
No matter how you slice it, the Phillies may lose their slugger to the highest bidder, his hometown, or, potentially, both. Regardless, their free agency decisions will all be predicated on what happens with Kyle Schwarber. So while he’s galavanting around getting sucked off by potential suitors, Sleepy Dave Dombrowski will be in hibernation until a deal gets done.
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The Phillies need to get creative with Schwarber the way the Dodgers did with Otani. Look to how the Dodgers structures Otani’s contract for inspiration and offer Schwarber a 5 year $65 million deal and then add to that 10 years of deferred compensation at $12 million per year. He plays 5 years and gets $185 million over the next 15 years. It gets Kyle more $$$ in the long run. The Phillies get to retain him. It helps control the Phillies’ payroll. And, with the salary cap expected to rise, the $12 million per year from 2030-2040 won’t hurt the Phillies long-term.