Former MLB GM Steve Phillips Praises Phillies Kyle Schwarber Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies made the right move in re-signing Kyle Schwarber, and this former MLB general manager would have gone farther, if needed.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have received widespread praise for their five-year, $150 million deal with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

The new contract locks in the DH and his consistent production through the 2030 season. The Phillies fended off several suitors, including the Baltimore Orioles, who offered Schwarber the exact same deal. But Schwarber’s relationship with the team, the city and the fans won out, especially with the terms being equal.

A day later, the Orioles pivoted to signing first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal. His market was more interesting, as some teams were reluctant to commit to one of the game’s best power hitters at a position of need for more than three years. MLB Network analyst Steve Phillips, a former MLB general manager, didn’t understand the reluctance and, in turn, praised the Phillies’ move to keep Schwarber.

Steve Phillips’ Praise for Kyle Schwarber Deal

"I would absolutely have gone five years and I wouldn't have hesitated. I would've even gone to a sixth year with Kyle Schwarber to get him."@StevePhillipsGM weighs in on reports stating that teams were reluctant to offer Pete Alonso and Schwarber long-term contracts. https://t.co/SWNaiYvhb5 pic.twitter.com/gR2vn9YQCV

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 12, 2025

Phillips was clear in how he saw both players during his breakdown of Alonso.

“I absolutely would have gone five years [with Alonso] and I would have even gone six years with Kyle Schwarber to get him,” Phillips said. “I think they’re both going to age just fine.”

In four years with the Phillies, Schwarber has slashed .226/.349/.507. He also hit 187 home runs and 434 RBI. He hit a National League-leading 56 in 2025. He hit more than 40 home runs in two other seasons. He drove in 100 or more RBI three straight years, including an MLB-leading 132 in 2025. He’s been an All-Star twice, won an NL Silver Slugger and finished second in NL MVP voting after this season.

In 11 Major League seasons, Schwarber has been to the playoffs 10 times. The only time he missed the postseason was in 2019 with the Chicago Cubs. He joined the Phillies in 2022. After Philadelphia reached the World Series in 2022, losing to the Houston Astros, the Phillies have reached the playoffs each of the last three seasons. But the Phillies haven’t won the pennant.

He's been one of the most consistent power hitters in the NL. So has Alonso, who has hit at least 34 home runs in each of the six full seasons of his career. He slammed 16 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and has 264 home runs. He’s only a year younger than Schwarber. Both play premium positions for power and neither appears to have lost a step. In Phillips’ eyes, the money was well spent by both parties.

Phillips has some experience in the National League East. He was the general manager of the New York Mets from 1997-2003, so he had yearly battles with the Phillies at a time when the Mets were the better team in the division, including a National League pennant in 2000. Before that, he was drafted by the Mets as a player in 1981 and he bounced around two different minor league systems before he moved into the Mets’ front office in 1990 as director of minor league operations.