Two of the bigger pieces of business of the offseason were taken care of today. The Phillies gave a qualifying offer to both Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez today.
Both are expected to reject said offer.
If either player were to accept the offer, they would make a bit north of $22 million for the 2026 season. They would not then be eligible to receive the qualifying offer next offseason, which would theoretically open up their market. However, both will probably reject it in favor of finding longer, more lucrative deals.
Schwarber should receive such a deal. He is one of the premier free agent hitters this offseason. Suarez should get a long term offer, but the idea that he would last longer on the market makes a bit of sense. He’s not an ace caliber pitcher or even a #2. Would teams want to pony up a large chunk of change to a pitcher like Suarez while also losing a draft pick in the process? The answer is likely yes thanks to the dearth of good starting pitching, but it would not surprise me if Suarez lingers a bit longer than expected.
