The Reds have one big advantage going for them in the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes.
The star free-agent slugger and Ohio native acknowledged that the possibility of playing in his home state certainly offered intrigue during his younger days, and that he and his family plan to spend more time in his hometown of Middletown in the future, per WLTV.
The looming question is whether the notoriously fickle franchise will pay up to sign Schwarber, who may command a $100 million-plus deal after rejecting the Phillies’ qualifying offer.
“I grew up going to games here. I grew up sitting in the bleachers and watching a lot of games and I think the kid would be excited, right? You have your hometown team that’s calling,” Schwarber said while in Middleton recently.
“But also being in the profession and knowing a little bit more of the ins and outs, you always have to listen and keep different options open and let’s see what happens.”
Kyle Schwarber said he and his family will spend a lot of time back home in Middletown in the future.
As the NL MVP runner-up gears up for free agency, he spoke with our @Porters_Videos about potential interest from his hometown Reds: pic.twitter.com/jvO1vsF1mZ
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) November 20, 2025
Schwarber, 32, is one of the top free agents available and figures to have a healthy market after his second-place finish in the NL MVP voting.
The designated hitter hit an NL-best 56 homers and an MLB-high 132 homers while helping the Phillies win the NL East. His .928 OPS matched his career-high mark.
The Reds have been linked to Schwarber due to the Ohio connection and he would be a fit for a team looking to take the next step after this year’s unexpected postseason berth.
Cincinnati has a solid young core and Schwarber would provide needed power production after the Reds ranked 22nd with their 167 dingers last year.
Kyle Schwarber is a top free agent. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Free agency always comes down to the dollars, though, and the Reds have not shown they will win bidding wars for coveted players.
The Phillies could easily bring back Schwarber after a successful four-year partnership, and some have wondered if the Red Sox could seek a reunion.
The Pirates reportedly are also interested in Schwarber, although they have the same self-imposed financial constraints as their NL Central counterparts.
The Post’s Jon Heyman ranked Schwarber the No. 10 free agent and predicted a four-year, $140 million deal ($35 million average annual value).
Schwarber acknowledged after the NLDS series loss to the Dodgers that it would be hard to leave the City of Brotherly Love due to the commitment to winning, which could hurt the Reds’ chances.
One of the knocks on the Reds’ leadership group, led by the Castellini family, is that the team does not invest as it should.
Could Kyle Schwarber join the upstart Reds? IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“It doesn’t feel good, you know?” Schwarber said after losing in four games. “You just make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse. You never know how it’s gonna work out, right? You just make so many personal relationships with guys and you spend how much time with these guys throughout the course of the year and they become family. And you just never know how it’s gonna go. But these guys all know how I feel about them. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guys in here, our organization, the coaching staff, everyone top to bottom.
“This is a premier organization, and a lot of people should feel very lucky that one, that you’re playing for a team that is trying to win every single year, and you have a fan base that cares, and you have ownership that cares, and you have coaches that care. You have everyone in the room that cares. There’s no other reason: We’re all about winning. And it’s a great thing. I think that’s why it hurts just as much as any other year.”
The Reds were also eliminated by the eventual World Series-champion Dodgers, dropping both games of the wild-card series in Los Angeles.