There is no better player to describe the modern-day approach to offense in baseball than Kyle Schwarber; high home run totals matched by a plate approach that results in high yields of walks and strikeouts. Since 2022, no one on the Phillies matches Kyle Schwarber in any of those categories and few do across Major League Baseball.
Schwarber is now entering the final year of his four-year $79 million contract with the Phillies. Having begun his time with the ballclub expecting to split time between left field and designated hitter, Schwarber took most of the innings early in his tenure with the Phillies in left field. In 2024, he spent nearly all of his time at DH.
With the start of the 2025 season approaching, so does a contract year for the Phillies’ lead-off hitter. Despite a solid performance during his three years with the club, aiding them to the postseason for three straight years, it might just be the best decision for both parties to split come 2026.
Kyle Schwarber has been a great signing for the Phillies
When a player is brought onto a team, produces for them, and the team instantly finds themselves back in the postseason for the first time in over a decade, their contract will be looked fondly upon. To date, the Phillies have paid Kyle Schwarber just under $60 million of their $79 million contract and it has been worth every penny.
In just three seasons with the club, Schwarber has slugged his way to 131 home runs, 19th-most in Phillies franchise history. Assuming Schwarber remains healthy for 2025, he tracks to finish his current contract with roughly 175 home runs, placing him in 15th place in franchise history. Given that Schwarber has only missed 21 games in three seasons with the Phillies, a healthy 2025 is very likely for the DH.
Though an atypical leadoff man by any traditional baseball standard, Kyle Schwarber has been a spark plug for the Phillies in the lead-off position, having hit 46 lead-off home runs in his career. When he has led off for the Phillies, he has been an instant warning sign to opposing teams that the Phillies’ offense was on the prowl.
Why Should the Phillies Move On From Kyle Schwarber
There is no doubt that Schwarber has had a positive impact on the Phillies. Thus far, we have only mentioned his on-field performance but his impact has gone far beyond that both in the clubhouse as a leader and in the community through Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes.
So why would the Phillies let Schwarber walk at the end of his contract? The answer is quite simple, the Phillies are getting too old. In 2024, they owned the fourth-oldest lineup in baseball and the lineup is not getting any younger. In an effort not only to keep their lineup on the younger side but also to extend the viability of their playoff window, the Phillies will need to take advantage of opportunities to get younger when they can. Schwarber will be one of the first opportunities for the Phillies to do so.
Part of the reason why the 2008-2011 Phillies teams could not sustain their success past 2011 was due to the Phillies’ unwillingness to move on from players before they became a liability for the team. While Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard will go down in history as some of the best players to wear the Phillies uniform, the truth is that if they were properly replaced sooner in their careers, the Phillies could have turned their lineup around and continued winning year after year. Kyle Schwarber, entering his age-32 season in 2025, is getting closer to that point.
Moving on from Schwarber will also allow the Phillies to account for the eventual transition of Bryce Harper from first base to DH. While Harper likely has a few more seasons at first before a defensive decline can be noticed, such a time will come. Until that time, the Phillies can utilize the DH not as a solidified position, but rather as an opportunity to keep players’ bats in the lineup while also resting them. In all likelihood, an outfielder would be the best player to pick up in Schwarber’s stead. Kyle Tucker is the biggest name currently available next offseason should the Cubs not reach an extension with their newly acquired OF.
Time for Kyle Schwarber to Cash In
Earning an AAV of just under $20 million over his time with the Phillies, Schwarber has been adequately compensated. Given, however, that he has consistently ranked among the league’s elite in home runs and walks, Schwarber has a chance to increase that pay as he enters the second half of his career. He likely could get around $25 million per year on the current market, cashing in on his value before his aforementioned age decline begins.
If both parties want the relationship to continue, a short-term contract of two years with a third-year option could certainly be negotiable. Schwarber, however, may want to try and find a long-term contract of five or six years to settle into his late 30s. For the Phillies to do so would add another long-term contract to an already backloaded lineup with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner being signed until the 2030s.
In all likelihood, the 2025 season could very well be Kyle Schwarber’s last in Philadelphia, but that does not need to be a bad thing nor does it need to end on a sour note. After three straight postseason appearances, the Phillies still believe this current iteration of their team has what it takes to bring home the World Series. Only time will tell, but Schwarber is set to do everything he can to make that dream a reality.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
