Bryce Harper thought Kyle Schwarber was leaving Phillies for Reds this offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This offseason didn’t exactly go as Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies would’ve hoped. They couldn’t finalize the long-term deal with Bo Bichette, instead seeing him join the New York Mets.

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But, avoiding disaster, the Phillies were able to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, signing him to a five-year, $150 million contract. It wasn’t easy, however, as Schwarber was a strong suitor for the Baltimore Orioles and especially the Cincinnati Reds.

As Bryce Harper revealed to Devan Kaney of 94WIP and reporters at training camp, he initially thought Schwarber wasn’t re-signing with the Phillies, and instead going to the Reds this offseason.

Bryce Harper thought Kyle Schwarber was signing with Reds this offseason

“I thought Kyle was going to go to Cincinnati, to tell you the truth,” Harper said. “I thought it was a done deal going to Cincinnati.”

It was a stressful offseason for Phillies fans, waiting to see what Schwarber would do. His decision would have a massive snowball effect on the Phillies offseason plans.

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If he didn’t return, as Harper and many fans feared and thought would happen, then the Phillies would be in desperation mode to find a new slugger to add to the lineup.

More: MLB analyst makes the case for the Phillies to sign 2x All-Star arm

Fortunately, Schwarber came back, signing his $150 million contract with the Phillies to stay as their designated hitter for years to come.

He’s a fantastic slugger, coming off an MVP-runner up season in 2025 with 56 home runs. Losing his bat would’ve been a huge loss, and such a reality was what Harper thought was coming to pass for the Phillies.

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Schwarber going to the Reds wouldn’t have been a surprise. He’d get a chance to play in front of his hometown crowd and still make good money.

But thanks to the Reds not beating the Phillies’ offer of $150 million over five years, Schwarber is back in Philadelphia.

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