Slugger Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a five-year, $150 million contract, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, reuniting the National League home run leader and the franchise with whom he blossomed into a perennial MVP candidate.
Following a frenzied free agency that saw efforts to sign Schwarber by the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and even small-market teams in Pittsburgh and his hometown Cincinnati, a late push by Philadelphia secured the 32-year-old a rare big-money, long-term deal for a designated hitter.
Coming off a division series loss to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies balked at life without Schwarber, their clear clubhouse leader and a highly respected figure in the game. His propensity for clutch hits buoyed Philadelphia in 2025, when he finished second in MVP voting after hitting .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and an NL-leading 132 RBIs.
Schwarber has been a model of slugging consistency since joining the Phillies in 2022 on a four-year, $79 million deal, hitting at least 38 home runs in each of his four seasons. This year, he played all 162 games for the first time in his career, became the 21st player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game and was one of just five players with at least 100 walks.