The Philadelphia Phillies might be in the midst of a final year with one of the best veteran cores in baseball.
The team has earned three straight playoff bids — including a 2022 run to the World Series — with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Cestallanos and company leading one of the sport’s highest-paid rosters. But this could be the final season for a key slugger, as Kyle Schwarber has the chance to become a free agent this offseason.
Earlier this month, Major League Baseball insider Ken Rosenthal revealed that the Phillies offered Schwarber an extension before the 2025 season began but that talks “failed to advance” after an initial proposal from the team.
“And while he wants to stay in Philadelphia, he’s also content playing out his free-agent year,” Rosenthal added. “He will be 33 next season, but surely would be in demand on the open market.”
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Following that news from Rosenthal, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski responded with some additional details about the team’s interest in locking up Schwarber with an extension.
“I absolutely love him; he’s as good a guy as you can put on a ball club,” Dombrowski said during an appearance on MLB Network Radio. “We hope to keep him to be a Phillie for years to come. You can be assured of that.”
Dombrowksi also outlined a clear hope for Schwarber’s playing future with three simple words, saying he’s a player the Phillies would “like to stay.”
Schwarber has been one of the most productive hitters in the sport in his time with Philadelphia, hitting at least 38 homers in each of his seasons there. There are some questions about how long he can keep up that production and the Phillies face a steep payroll with several other star players on the books.
But it sounds like Dombrowski is determined to bring Schwarber back after 2025.
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