Orioles surprisingly seen as potential fit for Phillies slugger in free agency

The Baltimore Orioles were recently seen as a potential fit for a star slugger from the Philadelphia Phillies.

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have not had the season that they initially envisioned, but there is still hope for the future. 

While the Orioles won’t be making the playoffs this season, they are currently getting a good look at a lot of their young talent. Baltimore is a team that has featured a young core for the last several years, and there has been some success with the group, most notably with Gunnar Henderson.

Now, they have their next wave of talent that was recently called up, and some of the results have been encouraging. Most notably, the Orioles recently signed their talented prospect Samuel Basallo to a long-term extension, making him a significant part of their future going forward.

Read More: Baltimore Orioles sign young catcher to long-term extension

Even though this campaign didn't pan out, Baltimore could easily flip the script and be a contender next season once again. To do so, some changes will likely be made to the roster, and the team will need to get aggressive in free agency. 

Does Schwarber Make Sense?

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

MLB insider Mark Feinsand recently wrote about the Orioles being listed as a potential fit for Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in free agency; the Texas Rangers were listed as another fit, as well as the Phillies themselves.

"Players entering their age-33 season don’t tend to find themselves this high on the list, but Schwarber is an exception," Feinsand wrote. "His plus power has him leading the NL with 45 home runs and 109 RBIs in 127 games, and he’s already set a career high in fWAR (4.2) with more than a month remaining in the season. Schwarber has the ability to play left field on occasion, but he’s essentially a full-time DH who will make any lineup better immediately upon arrival."

Who will drive the free-agent market? Here are our top 10 picks https://t.co/I8IGQ5Sj12

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 22, 2025

It has been an incredible season for Schwarber, who is having possibly the best season of his career. At 32 years old, these new heights are coming at a great time with his contract expiring at the end of the 2025 campaign.

At his age and being primarily a designated hitter, Schwarber is going to be a very interesting player in free agency this winter. However, as an NL MVP candidate and one of the best hitters in baseball, he should surely be drawing a lot of interest from multiple teams.

Kyle Schwarber home run totals his last 4 years:

46
47
38
45 and counting

329 for his career at age 32. Will he get to 500? pic.twitter.com/CvAOwtvY0L

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 21, 2025

The Orioles being listed as a potential fit is a bit of a surprise, considering that the franchise hasn't been the most active in pursuing free agents in recent years. However, they did start to spend a little money last offseason, and even though those moves didn't work out well, it could be a sign of things to come.

With Baltimore being a very young team still, adding a powerful veteran like Schwarber into the middle of the order would be a massive boost. The slugger has had plenty of postseason experience and doesn't shy away from a big moment.

If the Orioles are looking to bounce back in 2026, making a splash to sign a player like Schwarber would certainly help them achieve that.