The Philadelphia Phillies are unsurprisingly in the mix for Kyle Schwarber in free agency after he spent the last four seasons with the team.
Schwarber was the National League MVP runner-up last season and is one of the best power hitters in baseball. However, he is 32 years old, and teams may be hesitant about paying him right now with fears of a coming decline. He should still have plenty of suitors, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed what teams think it will take to land him.
“Several teams’ fortunes — from Philadelphia to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh to Boston to Baltimore to the New York Mets — depend on where Schwarber goes,” Passan wrote on Friday. “The belief among teams is that it will take five years to secure the 32-year-old.”
Schwarber has hit more home runs than anyone not named Aaron Judge since 2019 and will be a hot topic at the upcoming winter meetings. He played in all 162 games last season and led the National League in home runs. He led all of baseball in RBIs, but his desire for a five-year deal could limit the number of teams willing to pay him.
He will be 33 before the start of next season, and a five-year deal would make it to where he would be bound to a team through his age 37 season. Considering his profile as a hitter and lack of defensive ability, some teams may be unwilling to commit the nearly $150 million it might take to land him.
If his power starts to decline with age, which is not uncommon, he could quickly turn into a bad signing. However, the Phillies have already spoken publicly about wanting Schwarber back. If any team is willing to give him the fifth year on his contract, it may be the team that has seen him dominate for them the last four years.
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