With all of the Philadelphia Phillies’ needs this offseason, it seems rather apparent that re-signing Kyle Schwarber will be at the top of that list. However, with December approaching and Schwarber yet to sign a new deal in Philadelphia, it remains uncertain when, or if, that will get done.
According to the latest from Theo DeRosa of MLB.com, bringing Schwarber back should be a priority. He also previously mentioned a report from Todd Zolecki of the outlet suggesting that Philadelphia and Schwarber aren’t close on a potential deal.
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“Schwarber has said he hopes to return to Philadelphia, although the two sides were not close to a deal as of Tuesday, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. That said, it’s only November, and there’s plenty of time to hash out contract details. A reunion between Schwarber and the Phillies makes a ton of sense, and there’s no more immediate priority for Philadelphia this offseason than bringing back its star slugger.
“Of course, Schwarber isn’t the only key Phillies player hitting free agency this winter: Realmuto and lefty starter Ranger Suárez are also on the open market. The Phillies may not be able to bring back Suárez, but Realmuto is easily the best free-agent option at his position, and retaining him would be a logical move,” he wrote.
The only reason I think Schwarber and the Phillies are a bit far apart right now is that he likely wants to test the market thoroughly.
We typically see things heat up around the Winter Meetings, which are set to take place in early-to-mid December.
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If Schwarber is unsigned much longer after that, I’d start to press the panic button if I were the Phillies.
Until then, there’s no reason to worry too much.
It’s still very early in the offseason, and it’s safe to say that Philadelphia and his camp have had plenty of conversations about what the future looks like.
Schwarber is going to have a big offer, or even multiple on the table to consider. He hit 59 home runs last year and teams are always willing to pay players who do things like that.