Kyle Schwarber Reflects on Honest Conversations With the Reds in Free Agency

The Reds tried to sign Schwarber in free agency.

OPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a home run during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game four of the NLCS of the 2023 MLB playoffs at Chase Field in Phoenix on Oct. 20, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Kyle Schwarber didn't ultimately sign with the Reds, they clearly made an impression on him in the offseason. Speaking ahead of Philadelphia's three-game series with the Reds, Schwarber reflected on his conversations with Cincinnati, saying the organization was genuinely serious about bringing him back home.

“My biggest thing was it wasn’t like they were just ploying. They were serious,” Schwarber told Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Everyone was honest,” he said. “At the end of the day, when you walk away, it’s like, I have respect for them, and I feel like they have respect for me. There was nothing bad to say about it.”

Schwarber is the exact kind of player this Reds team is missing. In 87 games, the slugger is slashing .252/.369/.561 and leads Major League Baseball with 30 extra-base hits. Cincinnati's offense is near the bottom half of the league and Schwarber could have completely changed that.

Ultimately, the Reds weren't willing to spend as much as the Phillies were and Schwarber elected to go back to Philly, where he's comfortable at and he's been for five years.

“I’ve got a place (Philly) that I’ve had a great time at, and I can’t be happier to be here,” he said. “Because there’s also the unfinished-business aspect of it all for me.”

Andrew Abbott Looks to Start Series Strong

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) pitches during the first inning of the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 1, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Andrew Abbott struggled to start the season, but has been much better since the end of April. On the season, the left-hander is 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA. However, since April 30, Abbott has an ERA of 2.71 over 66 1/3 innings pitched.

The Reds have gone 9-5 in his last 14 starts.

Abbott is closing in on another milestone in what's been an outstanding start to his career. The left-hander enters his next outing with 94 career starts and is just six away from becoming the first Reds left-handed pitcher to make 100 starts with the club since Tom Browning reached the mark in 1994. Before Browning, the only other Reds lefties to accomplish the feat were John Smiley, Fred Norman, and Don Gullett.

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