It's really hard for $79 million free agency deals to result in clear bargains for the team, but that's exactly what happened with the four-year, $79 million pact Kyle Schwarber signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. It didn't result in a World Series, but Schwarber turned out to be one of the most prolific power hitters in the sport during the span of the contract, launching 187 home runs, tied with Shohei Ohtani for second-most in the majors.
Schwarber averaged nearly 47 home runs annually with the Phillies during his four-year deal, and set career-highs with 56 home runs and 132 RBI in 2025. He almost certainly won't win the MVP award, but will likely be the runner-up to Ohtani. He was outstanding throughout the entirety of the contract, but saved his best season for his walk year.
Schwarber is set to hit free agency once the World Series comes to an end, and he's primed to cash in. Sure, he's essentially a DH only at this stage of his career, he doesn't run the bases well, and he did not have a good postseason, but Schwarber is still as prolific a power hitter as there is. He won't get a Kyle Tucker-type contract, but he's going to get a lot of money this winter. Where he ends up, though, is the big question.
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6) San Diego Padres
Admittedly, offense isn't going to be the San Diego Padres' No. 1 priority entering the offseason with Dylan Cease and (likely) Michael King both entering free agency, but they're going to have to address their lineup regardless. As important as starting pitching is, the Padres lost in the Wild Card Series despite allowing just six runs in three games. They managed to score just five runs themselves against a depleted Chicago Cubs' pitching staff. Their offense was an issue all year long.
There are some big names in San Diego's lineup, but the Padres ranked 18th in the majors in runs scored in the regular season. Their 702 regular-season runs were the second-fewest among all postseason teams, and this was despite the team ranking ninth in the majors with a .321 on-base percentage. The biggest reason for that is because of their stunning lack of power. The Padres hit just 152 home runs in the regular season, the third-fewest in the majors.
Given their lack of power, why not go all-out for a guy like Schwarber? I have doubts that a Padres team that's already got some bad contracts on its books and will likely prioritize starting pitching would take a Schwarber pursuit very seriously, but never doubt A.J. Preller. The Padres are far from a favorite, but shouldn't be fully ignored in the Schwarber sweepstakes.
5) Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners couldn't care less about free agency right now as they have the ALCS to prepare for, but it's worth noting that Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco, three of their best hitters, are all set to hit free agency at the end of the year. They probably will try to re-sign at least one or two of those guys when the time comes, but there's also a good chance they're going to have to look at other options to address the offense. In that case, why not Schwarber?
The Mariners finally broke through and made the ALCS for the first time since 2001 because they finally built an offense to be proud of. They didn't exactly rake in the ALDS, but the Mariners finished in the top 10 in the regular season in the majors in runs scored and ranked third in home runs. There's a chance they'll lose one or two of their big power bats, so why not replace them with an even better one?
Is it likely the Mariners will spend what it'll take to sign Schwarber? Perhaps not, but slotting him into the same lineup as Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez would have Seattle as clear favorites to not only win the AL West in 2026, but do damage in October as well.
4) Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds make sense for Kyle Schwarber for so many reasons. Schwarber grew up a Reds fan, Great American Ballpark is a hitter's paradise, and the Reds desperately need a big bat. Despite their hitter-friendly park, the Reds were just 21st in the majors in home runs and 14th in runs scored. Especially given how Elly De La Cruz struggled down the stretch, there was not a single bat in their lineup that the opposition had to fear. Schwarber, obviously, would change that and then some.
Cincinnati's rotation is as good as anyone's, and the Reds' bullpen was a big reason why they were able to win enough games down the stretch to get to the postseason, but again, the offense held them back. Schwarber's limitations don't outweigh what he can bring to a team power-wise for a power-needy club like the Reds.
Ultimately, this comes down to money. The Reds should be seen as nothing more than a dark horse because the likelihood they'll be willing to outspend big market teams for Schwarber's services is slim, but they check every other box. If Schwarber is willing to take a bit less or the Reds are willing to be more aggressive than they normally are, don't be surprised to see this pairing come to fruition.
3) New York Mets
Now we've reached the favorites side of the Schwarber sweepstakes. The New York Mets shouldn't be considered as the favorites, but ultimately, free agency is about money 99 percent of the time. The Mets have more of it than any other team if they want to spend it.
That big if is why the Mets are only semi-favorites and not the favorites to sign Schwarber. Nothing about how David Stearns operates suggests that the Mets will be willing to give Schwarber, a 32-year-old DH who doesn't play the field or run the bases well, the kind of money he's going to command on the open market, but the Mets certainly could use his bat.
Sure, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are locked in long-term, but Pete Alonso is a free agent and there isn't another bat in the lineup that really scares anybody. The Mets' offense was far too hot and cold in 2025, and adding a virtually guaranteed 40+ home run bat would help change that.
It goes against what Stearns believes in, but something has to change after the team's catastrophic 2025 campaign. The Mets will want to do whatever it takes to get back to the postseason in 2026, and stealing Schwarber away from their division rivals would help a ton.
2) Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2021, but failed to even get beyond the Wild Card Series. The primary reason for that has to do with the fact that they scored just six runs in their three-game series against the New York Yankees. Sure, Roman Anthony being out didn't help, but Anthony alone can't carry the offense.
You can have the opinion that trading Rafael Devers was the right long-term move for the Red Sox to have made, but that deal only makes sense if the Red Sox reinvest the money he was owed and find a way to make up for the offensive impact Devers provided. Signing Schwarber would kill both of those birds with one stone. He might not be the pure hitter Devers is, but I'd say Schwarber has more power, and he gets on base just as much as Devers.
Signing Schwarber would make a left-handed-heavy Red Sox lineup even more left-handed, but Schwarber crushes left-handed pitching too, so it shouldn't be an issue. Schwarber has already played in Boston and had success with the Red Sox, so it makes all the sense in the world for these sides to reunite, given Boston's need for a big bat and clear money to spend.
1) Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies didn't get over their World Series hump during Schwarber's initial four-year deal, and he's had lackluster showings in each of the last two postseasons, but at the end of the day, how can a Phillies team that consistently shrinks offensively in October justify letting a bat of Schwarber's ability walk?
Schwarber was their MVP this past season and is one of the best hitters in the game - point blank. He obviously has his deficiencies, but the bat, for a team that clearly lacked enough offensive firepower to win, is a must to keep around.
I expect Schwarber to test the open market, but there's a reason the Phillies have always been seen as the favorites to bring him back. He's beloved by the fans and members of the clubhouse, and, at the risk of repeating myself again, his bat is too important to the team. The contract might not be as team-friendly as the first deal he inked with the franchise, but it'd be surprising if Schwarber left Philadelphia even after another early postseason exit.