Phillies Star Kyle Schwarber's Free Agency Will Have Fascinating Ripple Effect

Kyle Schwarber is one of the most fascinating free agents of the 21st century.

The 32-year-old Schwarber is having a phenomenal walk year with the Philadelphia Phillies, blasting 49 home runs and putting up a .934 OPS through 139 games. But he's also strictly a designated hitter, and when you combine that fact with his age, it's tough to project what his next contract will be worth.

If Schwarber stays with the Phillies, it's pretty easy to calculate how the dynamics of the National League East -- and indeed, all of baseball -- will change, because the answer is "not much." If he signs elsewhere, though, the ramifications will be fascinating.

Insider names intriguing list of Kyle Schwarber suitors

On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan identified a large group of teams that could be potential Schwarber suitors this winter, while asserting that the slugger's price tag should be around four years, $120 million by the insider's best estimate.

"Because of all he brings, Schwarber is going to get paid. Like, paid paid. Teams will scoff because of the age, the strikeouts, the positional inflexibility. But Schwarber's total package will ultimately push some of them off such concerns and trigger a bidding war," wrote Passan.

"If he wants, he can get at least four years. The salary, at that term, should be at least $30 million a year. And although remaining in Philadelphia makes the most sense, enough teams have holes at DH -- looking at you, Texas, San Diego, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit and Cincinnati -- that no amount of labor unrest will cause Schwarber's market to dry up."

It's fascinating to play make-believe in terms of how some of these potential destinations would impact the league's power dynamics. If the Atlanta Braves stole Schwarber, they'd break their division rivals' hearts while reasserting themselves as top National League East contenders.

If the Houston Astros did it, they'd have two of the scariest left-handed bats in the sport in Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez -- and one of them would have to play left field every game. And if the Detroit Tigers did it, they'd send fear into the hearts of every team in the AL, while relieving the rest of the NL that no longer had to see Schwarber in a pennant race.

And if the Phillies do lose Schwarber, how will they respond? Or is losing Schwarber a symptom of gaining a Kyle Tucker? It's an intricate jigsaw puzzle, and it will be enthralling to see how it plays out.

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