One of the big mysteries of the MLB free agent market was finally solved on Tuesday morning during the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, where it emerged that slugger Kyle Schwarber will return to the Phillies after agreeing to a five-year, $150 million deal.
Although official confirmation from the club is still pending, a source told journalist Mark Feinsand about the deal, which should cause a domino effect in the market, considering that the slugger was one of the most coveted pieces among teams looking to add a power bat.
Schwarber, 32, was on the radar of the Mets and Pirates. The New Yorkers, who do not know if they will get the return of Pete Alonso, are looking for a consistent slugger to accompany Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, while Pittsburgh hoped to convince the home run hitter to lead an ambitious project with Paul Skenes at the helm.
Schwarber’s return to the Phillies is a blow for both teams, particularly the Mets, who also saw Puerto Rican closer Edwin Diaz sign a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers.
For Philadelphia, however, retaining Schwarber was a priority, as is bringing back catcher J.T. Realmuto and signing a target pitcher for their rotation following the departure of Ranger Suarez. The first step has been taken with a hefty $150 million investment.
Schwarber’s previous contract was for four seasons and $79 million, so this is a substantial increase for the player, something expected given his performance in recent years. To get an idea, since he first donned the Phillies uniform in 2022, the left-handed hitter has recorded 187 home runs, 434 RBIs, 429 runs scored and 426 walks, among the top five in MLB in that span.
In addition, he compiled a .507 slugging percentage and .856 OPS, went to two All-Star Games, won a Silver Slugger Award and finished second in the voting for the 2025 MVP award, only surpassed by Shohei Ohtani.
In the postseason, he also left his mark with the Phillies, hitting 14 home runs and driving in 20 runs in 38 games, with a high OPS of .930.
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