The majority of the offseason conversation, at least as far as free agents go, will be centered around the Kyles: Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker.
As far as Schwarber goes, he’s the total package. He can hit for power. He can get on base at a high level. His leadership in the clubhouse has been raved about by teammates, especially Bryce Harper, who has made it clear that he wants Schwarber back in Philadelphia. And considering his production — .240/.365/.563 with a .928 OPS, 56 home runs and 132 RBI — Harper is hardly alone in wanting him in free agency.
The expected contract for Schwarber, 32, should be in the three-to-five year range for around $30 million per season. Yes, while that is a lot for a designated hitter, Schwarber’s value on and off the field is immense and there will be a long list of teams that covet him this winter. So who could be some of the top suitors? Here are three teams I’m watching for Schwarber.
Philadelphia Phillies
Let’s just get the obvious answer out of the way. The Philadelphia Phillies want Schwarber back, and my feeling is that they will do everything in their power to bring him back.
This was all avoidable for the Phillies had they just extended Schwarber before the season. They would have gotten him at a discount compared to what he will earn in free agency. They would not have risked losing him to another team because the bidding will be that aggressive, competitive and fierce. He’s a glue player and someone the franchise can’t risk losing. The consequences it could have in the clubhouse could be massive.
The good news for the Phillies, however, is that the payroll seems like it will be quite high next season, given Dave Dombrowski’s comments after the season. They have large contracts on the books already with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, among others, and should have no issue retaining Schwarber.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox acquired Schwarber at the trade deadline in 2021. He made an immediate impact, both on the field and off the field, and left a lasting impression within the Red Sox organization.
I would not be surprised if the Red Sox were aggressive in their pursuit of Schwarber. That’s based on comments that manager Alex Cora made during the regular season. From Rob Bradford of Audacy, who asked Cora how intrigued he was on how Schwarber’s free agency was going to go. “Very. Very intrigued.”
It should be noted that the Red Sox should have money to spend after trading Rafael Devers and unloading his entire contract, as well as signing Roman Anthony to a team-friendly contract. So Schwarber, or even Kyle Tucker, could make some sense.
Cincinnati Reds
This is an under-the-radar team to watch for Schwarber. He grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan and earlier this season said: “Growing up and watching Cincinnati baseball for your whole youth, that’s how you fall in love with baseball…being able to play for your childhood team is something that I think it’d be awesome.”
Adding Schwarber to the Reds’ lineup, and pairing him with that young roster, would immediately vault the Reds into postseason status. Pair that with manager Terry Francona, one of the best managers of this generation, and they’d have all the ingredients to be a team to make noise in the National League.
The big question here will be: do the Reds have the funds required to pull off a move this massive? We’re about to find out.