Phillies Viewed As Favorite To Sign Kyle Schwarber: Insider

By Patrick McAvoy

Contributing Sports Writer

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If the Philadelphia Phillies can retain Kyle Schwarber this offseason, that would be viewed as a massive win.

Schwarber finished in second place for the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2025 after clubbing 56 homers and driving in 132 runs. The 32-year-old also appeared in all 162 games for Philadelphia. He's dependable and has been a key cog in the Phillies' high-octane offense since 2022.

Keeping Schwarber would go a long way for the organization in 2026. Fortunately, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Philadelphia is the current favorite to sign the three-time All-Star, although he also did mention the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets as other teams "in the mix."

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"Kyle Schwarber: The bellwether of the class," Passan wrote on Threads on Sunday. "Schwarber’s market is healthy. He’s going to get years, and he’s going to get AAV, and at this point, he might be the likeliest of the big free agents to sign first. Unclear if something gets done before the (winter meetings), but I’d be surprised if they end and he doesn’t have a team. The Phillies remain the favorite, with Boston, Cincinnati, the Mets, and others in the mix."

The 2025 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings will begin on Dec. 7 in Orlando, Florida. The fact that an insider of Passan's caliber is calling Philadelphia the favorite for Schwarber is very positive. The fact that he also said Schwarber "might be the likeliest of the big free agents to sign first" also is positive because Philadelphia may not have to wait very long to find out if the slugger will be a part of the team's plans in 2026.

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