Kyle Schwarber had a historic season at a perfect time, as the 2025 MVP finalist is hitting the open market in free agency as arguably the second best available hitter behind Kyle Tucker. Most insiders
agree that a reunion with the Phillies seems likely, but as we discussed yesterday with J.T. Realmuto, that is not guaranteed.
Oddly enough, despite Schwarber having a much better season than Realmuto and being three years younger, he may not have as robust of a market. The market for a strictly DH player, even one of Schwarber’s caliber, is bound to be small. Add in that many of the biggest spenders in MLB already have their DH position locked up, and it’s possible that the Phillies may be the only ones willing to meet Schwarber’s price.
Nevertheless, until the ink is dry on that new contract, it is a possibility that Schwarber will be elsewhere in 2026. That would mean the Phillies need to go about replacing his production as far and away their best power threat, as Schwarber accounted for 26% of the team’s home run total in 2025, and their clubhouse leader.
Tucker would naturally be the first name to come up when discussing where to send the Kyle Schwarber-sized pile of money if the latter were to exit and the Phillies are still, as it has been reported, retaining a similarly high payroll. Tucker would instantly solve one outfield spot for Philadelphia and give them a younger star to pair with their aging core.
Tucker will turn 29 in January and has been a perennial MVP candidate the majority of his career. He started 2025 strong after a trade from the Astros to the Cubs, posting an .882 OPS and 17 home runs in the first half of the year. But injuries hampered him in the second half and his post All-Star break numbers suffered because of it, as he only had a .738 OPS and five home runs in that span. Still, Tucker is the biggest prize of the offseason and is in line to command a 10-year deal for around $370-400M. It remains to be seen though if the Phillies would be willing or able to hand out another massive contract like that, even if Tucker is a great fit.
Schwarber’s exodus would theoretically free up some positional flexibility, as the team wouldn’t be limited in pursuing a replacement with the DH spot open. That would include potential fits at first base, as freeing up DH would allow Bryce Harper to spend time there. In that scenario, it would make sense for the team to pursue Pete Alonso.
Philadelphia is desperate for a right-handed middle of the order bat, and that is exactly what Alonso has been. His 264 home runs since entering the league in 2019 are the third most in the Majors, just four behind Schwarber in that same span. Alosno will turn 31 in December, while Schwarber will turn 33 in March. The first baseman opted out of a two-year, $54M contract signed in February after an extended back and forth between him, his agent Scott Boras, and the Mets. Alonso’s projected to receive a similar deal to Schwarber this winter, at around 5 years and $150M.
Make no mistake, losing Schwarber would be a devastating blow to the Phillies and the best path forward may just reside in a reunion. His absence would be difficult to fill, but it would have more options available than in the case of J.T. Realmuto. The options discussed here are just the two most obvious ones. So, what should be the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber backup plan?
