Kyle Schwarber sticks with the Phillies for 5 years, $150M

[True Dough]

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Slugger Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a five-year, $150 million contract, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, reuniting the National League home run leader and the franchise with whom he blossomed into a perennial MVP candidate.

Following a frenzied free agency that saw efforts to sign Schwarber by the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and even small-market teams in Pittsburgh and his hometown Cincinnati, a late push by Philadelphia secured the 32-year-old a rare big-money, long-term deal for a designated hitter.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47256861/sources-kyle-schwarber-phillies-reach-5-year-150m-deal

[True Dough]

1. By today's standards

that may actually be a "team friendly" contract, so long as Schwarber doesn't fall off quickly at age 34 or 35.

[rsdsharp]

2. I loved Kyle Schwarber when he was with the Cubs. I didn't think they should have let him go.

That said, $30 million a year for a 32 year old DH who is a career .231 hitter and who strikes out 200 times a year, strikes me as lunacy, but it ain’t my money. the Phillies apparently think the Schwarbombs are worth it.

[True Dough]

3. While his batting average is low

his 56 dingers and .928 OPS last season pretty much guaranteed him a big payday.

[rsdsharp]

4. His career OPS IS .846. Not bad, but not terrific if you're hanging your hat in power alone.

[True Dough]

6. Career OPS

for Manny Machado: .824 (he signed an 11-year, $350-million contract with the Padres in 2023)

for Matt Chapman: .778 (and he signed a 6-year, $151-million extension with the Giants last season)

for Cody Bellinger: .817 (3-year, $80-million contract in 2025)

for Nick Castellanos: .785 (5-year, $100-million contract in 2021)

for Teoscar Hernandez: .800 (3-year, $66-million contract in in 2024)

So I don't think Schwarber's deal is out of line at all.

[rsdsharp]

7. Every one plays defense, three of them gold glove winners.

And only Machado is getting paid in the $30 million range annually.

You’re entitled to what you can get paid, I guess, but I think $30 million a year for a guy who comes off the bench 4-5 times a night, and then sits down without even putting the ball in play in about 1/3 of his at bats, is pretty high.

[True Dough]

8. Salaries, in general, only move in one direction

They get higher and higher. Wait till we see what Kyle Tucker commands.

[rsdsharp]

9. Again, a gold glove level defender.

He actually had a bit of a down year in 2025. Not that it really matters what he did. The Cubs aren’t gonna pay him, anymore than they paid Bellinger.

[MIButterfly]

5. He's still my favorite.

I saw him for the first time when the Cubs went to Cleveland to play the Guardians in 2015. My mother and I went down there for both games. The Cubs brought him up as a DH and he just hit everything Cleveland threw at him. I thought "who is this guy?" and he's been a favorite ever since. I was devastated when the Cubs let him go.

I just hope he doesn't turn into one of those guys who no longer hustles or gives 100% because he got his huge contract. I really don't think he would, but you never know. I've seen it happen more times than I can count.

[True Dough]

10. Plenty of interest in Schwarbs

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