ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Schwarber is going back to Philadelphia, agreeing to a $150 million, five-year contract with the Phillies, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. ESPN was the first to report on the move.
Schwarber had been one of the biggest names in free agency. His new contract with Philadelphia could lead to more activity at baseball’s winter meetings as his other suitors execute their alternative plans.
Schwarber is coming off a terrific season with the Phillies, setting career highs with an NL-best 56 homers and a major league-high 132 RBIs. He also scored a career-high 111 runs while leading the club to its second straight NL East title.
Schwarber’s 23 homers against left-handed pitching set a major league record for a lefty batter, passing Stan Musial (1949) and Matt Olson (2021) at 22.
While cautiously declaring that the deal isn’t done yet, Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised Schwarber’s talent and clubhouse leadership. He also expressed confidence in his ability to keep producing at the plate.
“The body’s gotten better over time,” Thomson said. “He’s in the best shape of his life right now, and I don’t think that that’s going to change. He’s so intelligent. He sees the game a little bit different than a lot of other guys, and he works at it, watches a lot of film.
“I think there’s a really good chance that he’s going to maintain this level. I mean, this was an unbelievable year for him. So I don’t think we can expect this every year, but I still think he’s going to be a high-level performer.”
Schwarber won this year’s All-Star Game for the NL by swatting three homers in a tiebreaking swing-off, and he finished second in the NL MVP race behind Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
The 32-year-old Schwarber rejected a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from Philadelphia in November.
“There’s very few people in my career that I’ve had when you look at him and say that is a genuine leader of your team that brings everything together,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “The way they work, the way they play, the way they handle themselves day in and day out, the way they treat their teammates, the way they bring you together. And he’s one of those guys.”
While praising Schwarber’s time in Philadelphia, Dombrowski stayed away from any confirmation of the slugger’s new contract. He said he wasn’t in position yet to discuss any movement with the free agents from the Phillies that the team is focused on retaining, a list that includes Schwarber, catcher J.T. Realmuto, left-hander Ranger Suárez and outfielder Harrison Bader.
Schwarber grew up in southwest Ohio before playing his college ball at Indiana. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 amateur draft.
He was at the beginning of his second year with Chicago in 2016 when he tore two ligaments in his left knee in an outfield collision during an April game in Arizona. It was believed to be a season-ending injury, but he returned for Game 1 of the World Series and helped the Cubs to the franchise’s first championship since 1908.
Schwarber is a .234 hitter with 23 homers and 37 RBIs in 73 career playoff games. He went deep twice in the NL Division Series this year against the Dodgers.
Schwarber hit 38 homers for Chicago in 2019, but he was non-tendered by the team after he batted just .188 in 59 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Washington in January 2021. After clubbing 25 homers in 72 games for the Nationals, he was traded to Boston at the deadline. He helped the Red Sox reach the AL Championship Series before they were eliminated by Houston.
Following his rebound season, Schwarber signed a $79 million, four-year deal with Philadelphia in March 2022. He flourished with the Phillies, belting 187 homers and driving in 434 runs in 627 games.
He hit his 300th career homer on May 19 at Colorado. He recorded his 1,000th hit on his 319th homer on July 25 at the New York Yankees.
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AP Baseball Writer Jay Cohen contributed to this report.
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