A few weeks from now (technically five days after the World Series ends), the baseball world will shift its attention to free agency. And Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber will be the center of attention.
It's not often that a 56-home run hitter is available. And the Phillies, who failed to strike a deal with the slugger prior to his hitting the open market, will be forced to pay market price if they want to bring the 32-year-old back to South Philly.
As a DH, and one who could be reaching decline soon, he should be reasonably priced, right?
Think again. According to Phillies beat writer Scott Lauber at the Inquirer, it's going to cost a pretty penny:
Schwarber’s value goes beyond 187 homers in the last four seasons. He’s like Krazy Glue for the clubhouse, respected by veterans as well as young players. He sets the tone, with a voice as powerful as his bat.
The expectation within the sport is Schwarber will seek five years, unprecedented for a DH who will be 33 next season. Maybe he’ll settle for four. Regardless, his annual salary will climb toward $30 million. Rival team officials are guessing that Middleton will match or beat Schwarber’s best offer, as he did previously for Realmuto and Nola. [Inquirer.com]
Only one Phillie currently makes more than the $30 million Schwarber is reportedly seeking — starting pitcher Zack Wheeler. Trea Turner makes a hair under $30 million a year, while Bryce Harper is just over $25 million.
Schwarber is looking to join a group of 18 MLB players with an AAV over $30 million a year. Is he among the 18 most valuable players in the sport? His likely second place finish in NL MVP voting (behind Shohei Ohtani) could codify that hierarchy placement in a few weeks.
The lefty hitter came close to tying Ryan Howard's franchise record for home runs in a season and has made it clear he wants to be back, so while he might not give Philadelphia a discount for his services, the Phillies do seem to have an edge on the competition.
“But these guys all know how I feel about them," Schwarber told media members after the Phillies were ousted from the NLDS last week. "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 night 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.”
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