Pair of Phillies' Sluggers Ranked Among Top 10 Free Agent Hitters

In a crucial offseason for the Phillies, two of their top impending free agents were recognized as premier available players in a recent article

Aug 9, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader (2) high fives outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) following a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are approaching a crossroads with the 2026 offseason, as the club's brass will have to decide on the team's future direction following yet another early postseason exit.

With one of the highest payrolls in MLB, a mark that eclipsed $290 million in 2025 and is projected to be in the $250 million range for 2026 without even accounting for free agency additions, the team has some important choices to make. While their core remains mainly intact entering the offseason, there are still pieces set to test the open market, as well as productive players that filled out the edges of the roster.

The World Series is set to begin on Friday, October 24th, and the free agency period officially opens five days following its conclusion. As the slew of predictions and rumors begin to increase in quantity and legitimacy, many top publications have started to sort out a very intriguing class of available players.

In a piece published Wednesday morning by Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly, he ranked the Top 10 free agent bats who are about to be allowed to sign with any team. In his piece, two Phillies were named, both one of the team's biggest stars and a surprisingly effective trade deadline acquisition.

Kyle Schwarber Ranked 3rd Best Free Agent Hitter

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts to his home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

To little surprise, Schwarber is once again listed among the upper echelon of impending free agent offensive players.

His National League MVP candicacy, while likely to fall short to Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, headlined arguably the 32-year-old's most productive season in his 11-year MLB career. Schwarber smashed a career-high 56 home runs, good for second most in Phillies history behind just Ryan Howard's 58 in 2006.

Philadelphia's designated hitter slashed an outstanding .240/.365/.563 in 2025, appearing in all 162 regular season games and driving in a whopping 132 runs, as well as working over 100 walks. Schwarber is due to hit free agency for the first time since 2021, when he signed a 4-year, $79 million deal with the Phillies that quickly paid off for the club, and then some.

Listed above every hitter other than just Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette and Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker, Schwarber is in for a major payday from whatever team decides to pony up the most. Spotrac has his market value listed at $99 million+ over a new potential 4-year contract, good for an average annual value of over $24 million per year.

Harrison Bader Ranked 10th Best Free Agent Hitter

Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Harrison Bader (2) gets ready in the dugout against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Phillies' second insertion on the list comes in at the 10th spot, with midseason trade deadline acquisition, outfielder Harrison Bader.

Bader played just 50 games in Philadelphia, but was arguably the team's best offensive producer in the second half. He posted an .824 OPS to push his season OPS up to .796, the highest mark he's ever finished a season with. Many fans viewed him as another mid-level addition at the deadline, but he proved to be far more impactful than that.

Having finished his 1-year, $6.25 million contract he signed with the Minnesota Twins before the 2025 season now, his $10 million mutual option is guaranteed to get declined by his camp in favor of chasing a longer-term deal in the offseason.

Spotrac markets Bader at $20 million+ across two years in a future contract, giving the Phillies a cheaper fallback option if they choose not to chase the biggest names available.