Comments Made by Phillies Players Puts Pressure on Front Office To Re-Sign Star

Nobody inside the Philadelphia Phillies' clubhouse is thinking about next year because they all know they have a championship window that is closing when it comes to the current iteration of this roster.

The front office can't think that way, though.

While Dave Dombrowski will do what he can to augment this group to help them achieve the goal of winning a World Series, he also has to take into account the future of the Phillies and how to best set them up for sustained success.

Unfortunately, that comes with making tough decisions about those whose contracts are expiring.

One of those players is Kyle Schwarber, the superstar slugger who has become beloved in the clubhouse and amongst the fan base for what he's done since he's arrived in Philadelphia.

Not having him around going forward would feel wrong, but that's what could happen.

The Phillies have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, and based on what Schwarber might get in free agency when he hits the open market, he might be too expensive for the front office to bring back.

Both Schwarber and the organization have talked about a willingness to keep him around for the long-term, but how feasible that might be is still too early to tell.

However, these comments made by his teammates might put some pressure on Dombrowski and owner John Middleton to make sure something gets done.

Tim Kelly of On Pattison spoke with many Philadelphia players about what it means to be a great "clubhouse guy," and it should come as no surprise that Schwarber's name was mentioned multiple times.

"We got a couple good guys on this team, obviously. I think of Schwarber, Trea [Turner]. I think every team kind of has like a glue guy," Bryce Harper said.

Brandon Marsh echoed that sentiment about Schwarber, which makes sense considering he's around him a lot in the dugout.

But it was notable when reliever Jordan Romano, someone who was just added this past offseason, also mentioned the star slugger by name.

"Like just here, I think Schwarber is a great one," he said. "Schwarber is a great clubhouse guy. He's always keeping it light, and everyone likes being around him ... enjoys him ... and obviously his play on the field, you know, that helps out a lot."

Those comments should make some ears in the front office perk up.

It's not like they aren't familiar with the impact Schwarber has on this team, but to hear it mentioned so outright when it comes to being a great "clubhouse guy," it would be hard to justify not bringing him back.

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