Red Sox Rumors: Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber Market Expands, Includes New Long Shot
Schwarber hit a career-high 56 home runs in 2025
Well, this isn’t exactly good news for Boston Red Sox fans. The list of teams interested in signing Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber continues to grow as we get deeper into MLB free agency.
“The demand for Schwarber is high, which is no surprise considering he won’t get more than a five-year deal because of his age and positional inflexibility as a full-time designated hitter,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. “Of course, when you hit like Schwarber, neither age nor position matters. Teams have made that abundantly clear, all the way from the obvious suitors (the Philadelphia Phillies are fiending to re-sign him) and the not-so-obvious (yes, Pittsburgh is in on Schwarber as well).
Growing Market
“Because of his production and leadership skills, Schwarber fits just about anywhere,” Passan continues. “The Boston Red Sox are still kicking themselves for letting him go after 2021. The New York Mets stealing him from Philadelphia would be a coup. The Toronto Blue Jays want a left-handed complement to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Cincinnati is 40 minutes south of where Schwarber grew up. The Detroit Tigers need some thump in their lineup.
“The contract offers are likely to bump Schwarber’s average annual value to more than $30 million a year, and the winning team won’t be getting a one-dimensional player. Schwarber has among the best plate discipline in the game, and beyond that, he has evolved tremendously,” Passan adds.
Contract Projections
MLB Trade Rumors projects Schwarber will return to Philadelphia on a five-year, $135 million contract.
In September, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale predicted Schwarber “should command a four-year deal in excess of $120 million.”
In terms of numbers, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand was in the same ballpark as Nightengale.
“Among those we spoke to, the consensus is that Schwarber should land a deal of four or five years for at least $30 million per season,” Feinsand reported.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel polled 20 scouts, executives and agents to get a sense of Schwarber’s value in free agency.
“The average of all 20 projections is 4.3 years, $131.8 million, for a $30.7 million average annual value (AAV),” McDaniel reported. “The median projection of those deals is $119 million.”
Schwarber was runner-up for National League MVP after leading the league with a career-high 56 home runs.
The three-time All-Star spent part of the 2021 season in Boston as a midseason acquisition and helped the Red Sox reach the American League Championship Series.
