Phillies Going To Face Ton of Competition for Kyle Schwarber in MLB Insider's Opinion

The Philadelphia Phillies will be challenged in their pursuit to re-sign Kyle Schwarber.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have some incredibly difficult decisions to make this offseason with several key contributors hitting free agency.

Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher J.T. Realmuto and starting pitcher Ranger Suarez are all hitting the open market. Left-handed relief pitcher Jose Alvarado could be a free agent as well. The team holds a $9 million option they have to make a decision on after the season comes to an end.

It will be interesting to see how president Dave Dombrowski goes about his business this offseason. Which of those free agents will the team prioritize? Can they bring back all of them while still addressing other needs on the roster? It will be fascinating to watch all of it unfold.

The most interesting is almost certainly how things will go with Schwarber. Historically speaking, designated hitters who are going to be 33 years old on Opening Day don’t have much of a market. But things are going to be vastly different for him.

All four of Kyle Schwarber's historic home runs pic.twitter.com/tyudktkROA

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 29, 2025

In the midst of a career season, the 2025 MLB All-Star Game MVP is expected to break the bank. He is going to receive unprecedented attention on the market for a player of his archetype. That is what happens when someone’s production is so elite it makes up for all of their other shortcomings.

Schwarber isn’t going to make an impact with his legs as a base runner or glove as a defender. Alas, it almost doesn’t matter because he makes such an incredible impact with his bat. His +45 Batting Run Value is in the 99th percentile, more than making up for his shortcomings in other areas of the game. The leadership and intangibles he provides are also incredibly valuable.

Through Sept. 3, he has already hit a career-high 49 home runs, which is the most in the National League. His 119 RBI are the most in the entire sport. That kind of production is something virtually every team in the league would love to add to the middle of their lineup.

Kyle Schwarber Predicted To Have Robust Free Agent Market

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A bidding war could certainly be on the horizon for the slugging designated hitter. Especially with how many teams MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN believes will be in on Schwarber. He listed six teams, in addition to the Phillies, who will show interest.

“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,” the MLB insider wrote.

That list could certainly grow by the time the offseason rolls around. Virtually every team outside of the New York Yankees, who have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani when he isn’t pitching, could fit Schwarber into the mix as their starting designated hitter. But, it won’t be cheap to land him.

A four-year, $120 million contract could be the bar. That price could go even higher depending on how aggressively teams are pursuing him. Continuing the relationship is something Schwarber and Philadelphia want, but all it takes is one team to make an offer that a 33-year-old designated hitter cannot refuse.