Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is slated for free agency at the end of this season. Recently, a couple of different writers have floated a rough $100MM figure as a possibility for his next contract. On May 6th, Jeff Passan of ESPN published a column where he described Schwarber getting to $25MM annually over a four-year deal as “eminently reasonable.” About a week later, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Schwarber’s recent performance might “lead to the $100 million contract” which previously eluded him.
While Passan did conclude that nine figures is “reasonable” for Schwarber, he is aware that it would set a new precedent. He writes that “a designated hitter who’s going to be 33 next Opening Day getting a nine-figure deal” would be an “outlier” but believes that Schwarber is himself an outlier and deserving of a contract that breaks the mold.
This post will dig in on those current precedents to see how far Schwarber would have to push the market in order to hit the century mark, with the help of MLBTR’s Contract Tracker.
This image (link for app users) shows all the free agent deals for designated hitters going back almost 20 years, sorted by total guarantee. As you can see, designated hitters have not been paid $25MM annually, nor have any received a $100MM guarantee.
Shohei Ohtani is out on an island here, for obvious reasons. He’s a unicorn in terms of on-field ability as a two-way player and his international stardom is unparalleled. No one else has topped $20MM annually. Anthony Santander came close to the century mark in terms of total sticker price but his $92.5MM deal had notable deferrals which pushed the net present value closer to the $70MM range. He’s also not a strict DH, having logged over 1,000 innings in the outfield for the Orioles last year.
Next on the list is Schwarber himself. The last time he hit the open market, he was going into his age-29 season, yet he could only get $79MM over four years, an AAV just under $20MM. Inflation usually pushes the market forward but somewhat similar players like Joc Pederson and Santander could only get to $18.5MM annually in the most recent offseason.
Schwarber is better than those guys, but let’s also look at the age question. Here are all free agent contracts for hitters starting at age-33 or older, regardless of position.
In this image (link for app users), we can see that no free-agent hitter has received a $100MM guarantee beginning at age 33, nor have any secured a $25MM annual salary beginning at that age. Another path to $100MM would be to get $20MM annually over five years. But as shown in that image, there have been no recent deals of that length for players in this age category.
Josh Donaldson did come close to the $25MM AAV and $100MM total. But at the time of that deal, he was still an above-average third baseman. He had just hit 37 home runs for Atlanta while being credited with ten Defensive Runs Saved and nine Outs Above Average. He continued playing well through the first half of that deal but was subpar at the plate in the final two years.
As for Starling Marte, his 2021 season saw him post a 132 wRC+, play over 1,000 innings in the outfield, and steal 47 bases in just 120 games. Still, he was limited to four years and an AAV just under $20MM.
So, designated hitters don’t get $100MM contracts. Nor do players pushing into their mid-30s. For Schwarber to get $100MM as a 33-year-old DH, some team would have to consider him to be worth significantly more than any other previous player in those categories. In fact, 33-year-old Schwarber would have to be valued higher than 29-year-old Schwarber.
What Schwarber has working for him is that he has found a new gear at the plate since coming to Philadelphia. Since signing that deal with the Phils, he has hit 148 home runs. He has drawn walks at a 15.4% clip. His 28.7% strikeout rate is high but he’s always been in that range. Overall, he has a .224/.348/.496 line and 131 wRC+ for the Phillies. Only Aaron Judge and Ohtani have hit more home runs in that time. Judge and Juan Soto are the only guys ahead of him in terms of walk rate, while the wRC+ number is 11th for hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances in that span. This year, Schwarber’s even above his own pace, with 17 home runs already, a .253/.390/.573 line and 164 wRC+.
Prior to coming to Philadelphia, he had been a few notches below that. From 2017 to 2019, he slashed .234/.337/.492 for a 113 wRC+ with the Cubs. His 12.9% walk rate was good but a few ticks below what the pace he has subsequently managed in Philly. Similarly, he hit 94 home runs over those three seasons, a pace of just over 30 annually. That’s very good, but he’s pushed that up to an almost 45-homer annual pace with the Phils.
He then had a dip in the shortened 2020 campaign. He did hit 11 home runs but his .188/.308/.393 line led to a 91 wRC+. The Cubs could have retained him for 2021 with a projected arbitration salary in the $8-10MM range, but they decided to move on instead. He bounced back tremendously in 2021, splitting his time between the Nationals and Red Sox. He signed a $10MM deal with Washington and was traded to Boston at the deadline. He hit 32 home runs and put up a .266/.374/.554 line for a 145 wRC+.
It’s possible that his rough 2020 showing was still fresh in the minds of baseball decision makers and hampered his market the last time he was a free agent. Since then, he has shown himself to be incredibly reliable at the plate, erasing the memory of his non-tender.
The question now is whether teams will think he can keep it going. When he signed his last contract, he was still a somewhat viable fielder. He has never been good in left field but nonetheless was a regular out there prior to signing with the Phils and got roughly 1,000 innings on the grass in both 2022 and 2023. He has become almost exclusively a DH more recently, with just 41 innings in the field in 2024 and 36 so far in 2025. That means he’ll need to keep hitting to provide any value.
Even the most talented players are subject to declining performance in their mid-30s. Donaldson and Marte were performing well on both sides of the ball in their platform years, but Marte has essentially been a replacement-level player starting with his age-34 season. Donaldson’s bat fell below league average in his age-36 campaign. José Abreu was the A.L. MVP in his age-33 season but was unplayable by his age-36 season.
That could leave Schwarber with a few good years to go. Perhaps not playing the field will help him to gracefully descend that aging curve. Looking at some of the names above, Edwin Encarnación had 34 home runs and a 130 wRC+ in his age-36 season. Victor Martinez had 32 bombs and a 168 wRC+ in his age-35 campaign. He followed that up with a nightmare season, 11 homers and a 77 wRC+, but was able to bounce back with a solid campaign at the age of 37 that features 27 long balls and a 120 wRC+.
Santander just hit 44 home runs last year and still couldn’t get to nine figures, even though he was going into his age-30 season. However, he has never had strong walk rates, so his overall offensive profile is less than Schwarber’s. Even with those bombs, he only had a 129 wRC+ last year, his best such mark in a full season. Schwarber’s average production over three-plus years in Philadelphia has been better than that, with a big spike here in 2025.
Pederson put up a 151 wRC+ last year but was mostly shielded from lefties. He has a .209/.305/.328 line and 78 wRC+ against southpaws in his career. Schwarber had some platoon issues earlier in his career but seems to have put those behind him. At the time of signing his deal with the Phillies, he had a .214/.324/.361 line and 86 wRC+ without the platoon advantage. Since coming to Philly, he has a .235/.357/.468 line and 130 wRC+. Amazingly, his wRC+ against lefties has been growing year over year: 95 in 2022, then 107 in 2023, 153 last year and a shocking 223 so far in 2025. That could certainly be an argument for Schwarber doing better than he did on his last deal.
It’s also perhaps worth noting that lowering the age cut-off by one year opens up another interesting comp from recent years. While Donaldson’s $92MM deal is the top mark for a 33-year-old, Freddie Freeman got a six-year $162MM deal going into his age-32 campaign. He’s a better overall hitter than Schwarber with a career 143 wRC+. He’s also a first baseman and not limited to the DH spot. Those factors and the one-year age difference are arguments for Schwarber coming in below Freeman, but it’s possible for him to do so and hit the century mark.
Another factor to consider is the qualifying offer, as Schwarber has never received one. Since he was traded in 2021, he wasn’t eligible to get a QO prior to signing with the Phils. If he sticks in Philadelphia all season long and keeps producing like this, they would surely issue him one, which would probably be in the range of $22MM or so.
Would a team be willing to make a four-year, nine-figure bet on a 33-year-old DH and give up a draft pick in the process? It’s never happened before. Time will tell if Schwarber is unique enough to set some new benchmarks.
Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
He should be paid more. Is anyone getting the production per pay in baseball as him?
Multiple pre arb players.
can’t believe the Cubs didn’t keep this guy
I seem to remember Cubs fans begging him to be let go. Basically averaged a 1.0 WAR season and was about to be due bigger money.
I think he finally evolved into a little more than just a boom or bust guy in Philly but, would you have kept paying him while you waited – most GM’s not having hindsight or the crystal ball – I’d say Cubs did right but hey, they guy rounded out (no pun intended) a little bit so, oh well.
Curious have other Cubs fans feel. I’m sure there are both sides which is ok.
Yes, Cubs fans do not have a united voice. Many of us knew the DH was likely coming to the NL. Cutting him for no gain was obviously a poor attempt to “shake things up,” and most Cubs fans I talked to or read comments from online agreed. The OBP and SLG were unquestionable even then.
He hit .188 in 2020 and Ricketts had “biblical losses”. The Cubs went with Joc Pedersen for less money.
Both Joc and Schwarbs were in their free agent platform year. I think Kevin Long, Washington hitting coach, helped Schwarber quite a bit in 2021. Even so, the Nationals didn’t get much for him when they traded him to Boston.
Kevin Long has also been the Phillies coach the past four seasons.
Most likely a mid market team can’t pass up the chance of getting a hitter that can get you 40 homers and 100 rbi that they normally wouldn’t be able to get.
But he’s not going to improve their team that much.
Not all teams are the Dodgers champ. Kind of an arrogant statement on your part.
Darren does make some arrogant comments. That is not one of them.
Schwarber makes any team better. Why would he be a better fit for a mid market team? You tell me.
He didn’t say Schwarber is a better fit for a mid market team. He said this is a mid market teams chance for a 40 home run, 100 RBI player. I think he is more saying that Schwarber is attainable for them because he’s a DH, unlike a bat that profiles similarly but is also valuable on the field and so would cost more.
So mid market teams cant sign good players unless there is something wrong with them?
Basically yes.
Not good players, 40 homer guys
I think many mid-market team fans would appreciate the general truth of that
Even if a mid market team couldn’t sign the best players, which isn’t true BTW, it’s still lame that a Dodgers fan would say it. Lame.
Why is it lame? We were on the other side of it under previous ownership, so we know.
At this point in time he wouldn’t make the dodgers better. Unless he can pitch some bulk innings.
You really like using strawman arguments, don’t you. I didn’t say there is something wrong with being a DH, unless what you were really doing was reflecting on YOUR opinion. I also didn’t say that it doesn’t happen. On occasion it does. However, I don’t see how you can disagree that teams with larger payrolls tend to sign the more productive players.
On another note, you called out DDC’s character but you seem to struggle with characterizing incorrectly what people say. Maybe it’s because I haven’t interacted with Darren but you’re the one coming off like a jerk.
I would have argued the point too but you don’t have to justify yourself to this guy. Every fan who slams the Dodgers for having an ownership willing to invest in it’s product wishes THEIR team did the same. Everyone loves to preach the merits of the free market until they think it’s unfair to them.
A Dodgers fan telling everyone how only big markets teams can sign the top players is lame. You can pretend it’s not but it is.
No not every fan of every team wants their team to spend tons of money and create a competitive disadvantage. Thats what college football is and I hate college football. It’s lame. Like you and the Dodgers guy. Sports are supposed to be about fair competition not who spends the most. You don’t get it kid.
Let’s not get carried away sport. You don’t want to say something you can’t take back there champ. Hey tiger no need to be condescending. Just slow down little camper. How about you just take a breath there boss.
Calm down junior
There are plenty of other teams that have large contracts on the roster.
What is the payroll my team needs to be at before you consider my posts relevant?
Dang missed junior.
“Lame man. Everything’s lame” Welcome to the free market, squirt. Everyone just loves screaming about the merits of competitive balance when their team is the one that would benefit most.
Go ahead. Tell me more about how arrogant and terrible Darren is while coming off as a petulant, prepubescent child.
Dude I was talking to him. It didnt involve you yet here you are yapping. Who is the petulant child?
Easy there, sparky.
Friendly reminder that by the time Adam Dunn, who was Kyle Schwarber before Kyle Schwarber was Kyle Schwarber, was 32 years old, he was done for.
Schwarber is basically Rob Deer with more power
Blast from the past! Pulling out the Rob Deer reference. This guy baseballs.
Thumbs up for the analogy, but Schwarbs is better.
They paid $700M for a pitcher (who hasn’t pitched since signing that contract) / DH and almost $800M for a guy with terrible defense and no speed, so essentially a DH. He’s a bit older than those two guys, but why not more than a $100M, based on the market?
York – Ohtani received a $460M NPV contract because of heavy deferrals.
Agree with you on Soto though, he’ll be a 1B or DH within 8 years or so.
@Fever Pitch Guy
I get that, but the $700 still applies to the payroll evaluation, regardless of what was deferred. But, even if we say, okay, it’s only $460M for essentially a DH guy, I’d say $100M for Schwarber seems like a discount, based on his production. Factoring in his age, maybe somewhere in the $200M range makes sense? Again, I’m only looking at recent market value for DH players.
Schwarber getting a QO will absolutely drop his market below $100m unless he resigns with the Phillies.
“Agree with you on Soto though, he’ll be a 1B or DH within 8 years or so.”
You say this as an insult but that’s almost a decade away. Even Harper and Ohtani moved out of the outfield. It happens.
rct – Not sure why or how you read that as an insult, it’s the natural progression as great hitters age. Plenty of hall of famers have made the transition.
Both of those players are perennial MVP candidates in big markets, that’s why they’re getting paid nearly a billion dollars each.
Philadelphia is probably a top 5 big market city in sports.
Ohtani will be pitching after the All-Star break. He started throwing breaking pitches recently, and there isn’t any reason to rush him back. So he’ll be a two way player again, and not just a DH.
And Ohtani is an income stream cheat code for the dodgers. He’s increased their revenue by more than some teams payroll. So there’s that.
Soto? I think it was an overpay. But I could be wrong. And more importantly, it isn’t my money the Mets are spending on him.
Ohtani could probably play any OF position. Only reason he is DH is to keep his arm and legs fresh for pitching.
I think he’d be very good at first as well, given reps there.
I was surprised there wasn’t a poll included with this article, but then I saw it wasn’t written by Deedsy.
No authored by the wordsie Darragh ask him the time and he’ll go on all nite
Pretty sure Devers has the highest annual salary and biggest remaining contract for a fulltime DH, thanks to Cora & Company.
Even though Excel isn’t known for always breaking the bank, I think he gets $100M/4yrs.
Other than 2021 he’s stayed healthy every year since 2019 and he’s flourishing now that they moved him out of the leadoff spot, which was an incredibly dumb decision in the first place.
Yeah let’s put one of the slowest runners and best sluggers in the game at leadoff,….. ridiculous.
The Devers comparison is actually perfect at this point. Although Kyle is a willing defender for a couple positions, if not a very good option.
Willing defender!
He batted leadoff because of his OBP as well as his slug. Speed is not a requirement for a leadoff guy – OBP is far more important.
He’s definitely a master of the 3 true outcomes especially in 2023 when he had a triple slash of .197/.343/.474 with 47 homeruns and 126 walks
Get it done Buster
The player closest in comparison to Schwarber (at least in terms of player profiles) is Anthony Santander, a slugging COF/DH. Santander signed for 5yr/$92.5M with the Blue Jays. Schwarber has been a bit better (he draws a few more walks and isn’t vastly inconsistent year-to-year), so I’d say he’ll easily get $100M, maybe way more than that.
Schwarber is older. Also arguably better tho.
I think Schwarber’s age is definitely overcome by his performance. Schwarber has been more consistently better and as a DH, if his plate discipline and bat speed stays the same, his performance will stay good.
Ifs are working hard there.
His problem may be that a number of bigger spenders have that spot filled ostensibly – Yanks, Dodgers, BoSox, Astros – or have higher priced players moving into that same potential age decline career phase, or like to use DH to give players a day “off their feet”. And the Phils have 6 guys signed for $18 mil or more in ‘26 with Schwarber and Realmuto as pending FAs.
I think $100 mil on a 4 or + year deal into his age 36 or later season may be too much to ask, especially close to the next CBA with all the potential lock out talk.
Maybe the Mariners finally get fed up with plugging cheap scrubs at their perennially weak DH position and sign Schwarber. Some money comes off the books when Garver and Polanco become free agents.
Worth 100 at least. By all accounts an amazing clubhouse presence. He obviously loves Philli and Harper working out so well at 1B leaves the opening.. Philli to resign him for around that amount, plus they are built to contend for the next 3-4 years at least. Win for all.
If Santana got a $20MM AAV in 2017, wouldn’t that be the equal (via inflation) of over $25MM in 2025 money?
More like $35MM!
I think he falls short of a 100m guaranteed. I think he’ll be looking at 3 year deals. Something like a 3/80m deal with a 25m team option or 5m buyout likely resigning with the Phills.
With how few teams were going after Alonso, who was several years younger and can play a position I don’t think Schwarber’s market will be 100m strong.
Alonso had a down year and was looking for a Boras long deal. Interested teams pivoted to other players.
Schwarber will exceed $100M if he only wants four years out of the gate.
It’s likely Tucker doesn’t resign in Chicago and if Schwarber can’t get a deal done with the Phillies, then the Cubs could bring him in easily on a 4 yr deal to be a full-time DH and emergency outfielder, maybe even in dire circumstances, the emergency 1b for a couple games. Give him high-value the first two years, say $27m each, then $17m the last two years, throwing in incentives for AS selections, MVP votes, games played, WS win, Silver Slugger, etc.. Suzuki and Happ will probably be gone after ’26 so with cheap young replacements in the OF (Cassie and Alcantara), that 4 year deal ties him in with Swanson’s final four years, and what will hopefully be the prime, or near prime, years of PCA, Shaw, Horton and maybe even Amaya.
I have Tucker going to the O’s to replace Mullins. They have very little on their ’26 books. Gunnar and Adley will test the market with Boras once they’re loose.
Kyle has only gotten better with age. He’s been a consistent bat for the Phillies and he’s usually good for 40 bombs a year. I think he stays in Philadelphia he’s really excelled as a Philly.
I recall that 1 winter where he put a ton of work into his fitness and showed up to spring training looking like a different person. Great to see him thriving tbh. That decision really paid dividends for him long term.
Though he has some good pop and can walk he is Adam Dunn with a slightly better batting average. I could see him break $100 million if it is a 6 year contract.
I don’t really see the Adam Dunn comparison. Dunn had some solid years, but it seemed like what really got him was trying to live up to that big deal while changing teams and moving to DH. It’s a lot. When you’re limited to contributing with your bat, you’re going to put extra pressure on yourself to do so.
Schwarber has been a DH already, and he’s a much more patient and polished hitter than Dunn was.
I’m bias because I never valued the player as much as many but his profile (outside of the walks) worries me long term. He is turning 33 before next year. Any decent slip in production and he is not very valuable as he offers nothing outside of the HR and BB. If a team wants him as that extra piece in the playoffs I would caution that he is a mistake hitter and is almost always gonna get himself out when the pitcher does a decent job. So while I acknowledge he’s had some big postseason moments, he can be managed fairly easily with a good lefty reliever and good SP. Whereas I could maybe have Ozuna for less years and get a guy who can hit even when the pitcher executes and is not gonna go on two months worth of horrific streaks yearly.
Are you one of those fans who thinks no player deserves to get paid beyond their age 32 to 34 seasons,
I get that logic. Most guys drop off between 32 and 34 years old. But there’s enough money in the game and they get underside for enough years between getting called up, that ri me that’s the tax teams pay as they enjoy the ultra cheap production of the next generation of pre arbitration and arbitration players getting under paid for their services.
Depends on the player. It’s measuring risk/reward. As I said I just don’t value the player as much as some people. If he were getting that kind of money he’d likely be getting a pretty long deal. I would only feel comfortable (playing GM) on shorter term deals unless I think the skill set and maybe just something about the individual is likely to continue to thrive into their mid 30s. It would be nice if he had another tool. Defense or more basehits. Take Freeman. To me he has an uncanny hit tool. I feel he’s generational in that way. It seems intuitive almost. He is also a good base runner and generally athletic (doing splits at 1B). Any one or two aspects of his game could fall off a bit and he’d still be valuable.
I’m willing to admit I’m bias about Schwarber. He has been great overall in the postseason despite having some horrible showings as well. I have always disliked that they lead him off because although he walks a lot the OBP is nothing special and he is slow. His best skill is the power yet he drives in himself and the 7-9 hole hitters. Some of that has made me bias. I also just can’t see leading off a guy who is so extreme with his streaks. Also seeing him play defense made me bias. He is a DH so I should let that go. I’m still not even convinced I am right about the leadoff thing for sure. Still think he is overrated but he is a very nice player to have.
Also it seems to me that a player who gets into massive streaks already has something of a hole that comes out in their game at times and it isn’t too far of a stretch to imagine it becoming more pronounced.
I guess my issue is that the game has SO much money in it, most owners/ownership groups have enough financial resources to field expensive clubs in a way they often pretend they can’t afford, that some guys get the short end due to the age they were when they got called up, as well as perception vs reality.
Schwarber earned his last deal and that token $1M discount was manipulative silliness, not unlike when Pavano got 4 years/$39.995M from the Yankees way back when.
Now granted, there are perfect examples of this age limit theory, such as Semien cratering in his age 34 season this year.
But Schwarber has earned at least an extra 1-2 years at a premium.
If it’s the years folks are so uncomfortable with, go 2 years/$70M and then be done with him.
Yes. He took one of those rare deals where he was such a fair value he got underpaid relative to the way the game tends to overpay veterans. He’s producing in a way that I bet the Phillies wish they tacked on a year to his old deal.
I think 4 years/$100M is basically perfect and if he suddenly gets old and unreliable, that’s the business and he doesn’t owe anybody a discount at this point.
That said, coming off 4 years/$79M I wonder if he gets a cheeky, token 4 years/$99M to keep his free agency theme consistent.
He’s earned it.
He’ll get the $100 million from the Phillies. Unlikely another team would sign him to that much and lose draft picks because of qualifying offer
Jeff, eminently reasonable, Passan. What not say, reasonable? Or if he insists on an adverb, say very reasonable.
If I had to make a ballpark estimate… I’d go with 4 years 108 mil
I don’t believe he goes over $100 mil
Yes
4 years…. 90MM….
Give it another four years and 90% of MLB will be making 100 mil.
In 4 years the pirates payroll might be 100 mil.
That is just asking too much.
Who cares anymore? Just too riduculous for most people to comprehend.
My guess is 4 years, $90 million. A lot of the comps in this article aren’t applicable. He’s a great slugger who doesn’t play the field or run much. I’m not sure the Phillies will go there. To me, their DH in waiting is Turner.
Easy answer is no, he shouldn’t get $100 mil. He obviously did a little something in the off-season and came in pristine shape. It’s never a coincidence when these guys come in lighter, stronger and put up monster stats on walk years
He’s been healthier for a few years now so whatever your “little something” implies is epically off base. He’s overcoming an underlying health problem the last few years and lost a ton of weight and breathing better.
Joooooce
Oh @spooky, you rascal you!
Pretty amazing how many folks are like “he’s playing great and out played his old deal, so he in no way shape or form deserves to be paid fairly for his production.”
It’s not your money.
This is what I talk about with regards to *perceived* value vs actual objective value of players.
If these comments sections determined contracts it’d be based purely on “vibes”
4/100 or 5/125. And he deserves all of it!
I’ll say no.
4/105 club ption for a 5th year. If he hits 50 homeruns in any of the last 2 years of the contract the 5th year option becomes a player option. I hope he stays in Philly. He’s from Middletown, Ohio so if the situation opens up he might go to the Reds. If his home park becomes GABP, Look out for a good 25 homeruns just at home games.
Can’t condition an option on performance issues, only appearances such games played or started, plate appearances.
They can if that’s what the player wants. You can negotiate anything into a contract. It’s been done before where players get bonuses for finishing 3rd or better in MVP or Cy Young voting. So this would be no different.
I’d definitely QO him for the draft pick. The band is getting old and I’m having O’Hoppe remorse.
If I were the Phillies, I’d try to offer him a higher average annual salary, on a shorter term deal. They need to keep the DH spot open for Bryce Harper and Trea Turner (plus Mike Trout if/when they acquire him) for the 2030’s. I’m thinking something like 3/$100mil ($33m per) with a 2029 club option at $25 million with a $1m buyout. Not for nothing, when Topper decides to hang up his manager spikes – who wouldn’t love to see Schwarbs become the first player/manager in the dugout since Pete Rose? With his power, he could DH & PH for a long time. That would be freakin awesome.
Deferrals put anything in play. But what Schwarber has going is a strike zone eye that wont fade as his power fades with age. Hes still going to be valuable a long while.
This will be really close as 4/90-110 would seem to be the ballpark. I think he’ll continue to rake next year but start to decline in 2027 and believe the last 2 years will not be kind.
Absolutely loved him when he was with the Red Sox and really wish they’d given him the contract at the time. But alas, now the Sox have the highest paid DH in the league(at least he’s producing though) so have the position filled for several years.
Funny thing is Schwarber is producing more for less money. And he will play the field wherever he is asked without acting like a 13 year old girl.
There’s no doubt Kyle Schwarber has his fair share of fans, especially in the media and PR circles. It’s surprising no one has predicted his first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame yet. But, his numerous fans and detractors notwithstanding, let’s take a closer look at the man who Ruben Amaro, Jr. has publicly called, “Babe” Schwarber.
This season, Schwarber has finally taken advice I posted here on several occasions over the past few years and started concentrating more on base hits with runners in scoring position than home runs. His base hits and batting average have significantly increased and he has cut down on his strikeouts. But how does this “complete hitter,” as the Phillies TV announcers have been calling him recently, compare to a few of his contemporary DHs.
Schwarber’s lifetime stats over 11 seasons include a 17.2 WAR (although his 2025 WAR is 1..9), 301 HRs, 950 hits, .and .231 BA. In 2025, he has 47 Ks and 97 runners left on base.
In comparison, Shohei Ohtani’s stats over 8 seasons include a 46.0 WAR, 242 HRs, 937 hits, and .283 BA. In 2025, he has left 51 runners on base.
In 13 seasons, Marcel Ozuna has a 29.0 WAR, 283 HRs, 1,555 hits, and .272 BA. IN 2025, he has left 73 runners on base.
So, of his contemporary DHs, Ohtani is in an entirely different orbit than the other two, and Ozuna has significantly better stats than Schwarber across the board. As per this article, a $100 million extension for 4 years has been predicted for Schwarber, while a significantly lower payday is predicted for Ozuna, despite the fact that he has better lifetime stats.
Compared to Schwarber, Ohtani, and Ozuna, Hall of Fame DH David Ortiz had a lifetime WAR of 55.0, 541 homers, 2,472 hits, and .286 BA, while Hall of Fame DH Edgar Martinez had a lifetime WAR of 68.4, 309 homers, 2,247 hits, and .312 BA.
Two players Schwarber has compared to because of their ability to hit long homers and also strikeout a lot were Dave Kingman and Adam Dunn. Kingman had a lifetime WAR of 17.3, 492 homers, 1,575 hits, and .236 BA. Adam Dunn had a lifetime WAR of 17.9, 462 homers, 1,631 hits, and .237 BA. Neither Kingman nor Dunn are in the Hall of Fame.
Keeping the previously mentioned comparisons in mind, the million dollar questions are: 1) Will some team trade for Schwarber this season or acquire him as a free agent in the offseason, and extend him to a four-year $100 million contract, and 2) Are the Phillies willing to extend Schwarber to a 4-year, $100 million contract, either during this season or after this season..
1) Insofar as players with the potential to hit 40 homers a season and bring in 100 runs are somewhat rare these days, some team will either attempt to trade for Schwarber before the upcoming trade deadline or try to acquire him in free agency. It’s hard to tell if Schwarber will be offered a 4-year contract or less with $25 million a year or less, but there are teams who will probably offer him a multi-year contract for more than the $19 million a year he is currently making in Philly.
2) Depending on the status of the team as the trade deadline approaches, the Phils may either trade Schwarber. if a trip to the world series seems doubtful in 2025, or keep him, if the Phils remain healthy, improve their bullpen, and become realistic contenders for a world series berth. If they keep Schwarber at the end of the season or let him go will depend on many different factors, not the least of which are how much and how long Schwarber is looking for, and what are the Phils’ other needs looking forward to 2026.
Here is why I would trade Schwarber before the upcoming deadline:
1) His current stats, improved though they appear to be, are not what they seem. Of his 17 homers in 2025, 10 were hit off weak teams with weak pitching (Rockies, Rays, Nationals, and Marlins). Schwarber hit no homers against the Dodgers, Giants, Mets, or Cubs, which are the same teams the Phils will be facing if they make it to the playoffs.. Of the 7 remaining homers hit against better teams, most were hit against weak pitchers. The bottom line is Schwarber, like most of the other current Phillies, cannot hit good pitching. What must also be realized is Schwarber has been one of the most streaky hitters in baseball throughout his entire career. His numbers will go down significantly when the Phils face better pitching later this season.. Because so many 3-2 counts go his way, his Ks will increase and walks decrease when the balls and strikes robot comes to the majors. What’s more, the Phils could undoubtedly acquire a legitimate closer, immediate impact bat, or top shelf prospects for Schwarber, whose trade value has never been higher.
2) Schwarber has a long history of serious injuries, include left ACL and LCL tears, right knee injury, hamstring injuries, calf injuries, foot injuries, and left elbow hyperextension. He is 32 tears old as we speak and not getting any younger. Although he is greatly protected when only DHing, he could still be injured if running the bases, hit by a pitch, or in the rare occasions when he plays leftfield. So, expecting Schwarber to remain healthy for 4 more years after this season and to keep up his current pace at the plate is wishful thinking.
3) One of the Phils’ biggest problems is their poor hitting against good pitching and inability to score runs when members of their elite starting rotation pitch gems of their own. One of the reasons for this is the way Rob Thomson uses players off the bench. Not many managers would have benched Edmundo Sosa when he started the season hitting .600, but Thomson did, as he did to the likes of Stott and Rojas when they were hitting well above their current averages. It could be argued that the Phillies waste too many players on the bench and allow them to grow stale and ineffective when finally given the chance to pinch hit or start a game. A DH-by-committee would allow the Phils to keep more of their assets fresh with more playing time and, at the same time, give some of the older players, like Realmuto, Harper, Castellanos, and Turner an occasional break from defensive duties and chance to still bat in games. By being the Phils’ exclusive DH, Schwarber has prevented the Phils from optimizing an offense which, on paper, is much better than it has preformed.
4) The Phils have come to a crossroads. If they fail to win the world series this season after repeated failed attempts to do so with an all-star team, the team will have to come up with an entirely different game plan that doesn’t include expensive players who can only hit and not play any defensive position. The Phils have several excellent players who are young, talented, and underpaid. To keep players like Bohm, Stott, Sosa, Sanchez, and Luzardo happy, the Phils will have to start paying more money. To with, Bohm is making $7.5 million this year. Last season, he hit significantly better than Arenado and Bregman who both made in excess of $35 million. Bohm is only one player who will cost more to keep in coming years. What’s more, the Painters, Abels, Crawfords, Taits, Millers and Kemps of the organization will also require adequate funding. So, with time, the Phils will have to get rid of some of their overpriced and ineffective contracts and replace them with a new youth movement that may have more success brining the next world series trophy to Philadelphia. The Phils have shown a distinct willingness to let go of some of the legends of their franchise, like Rollins, Utley, and Hamels, just to mention a few. All were excellent players who were highly invested in their communities. Kyle Schwarber has had an impact on the Phils and the town in which they play but, in the business known as major league baseball, a team capable of letting world champions like Rollins, Utley, and Hamels walk, will not hesitate doing the same to him.
Giancarlo Stanton is getting 32 million a year for the past decade for what?
As a Phillies Fan, I may do a 2yr/60m more than a 4yr/100m. The Risk of Regression is just too great. It’s great he is having a Career Year at 32, but it’s easy for players to regress quickly with age. The issue with a High Priced DH ONly player is you cannot semi-rest other big bats by letting them DH or a game or two. Nor can you stick a key player who has an injury that prevents fielding by not hitting. (See Bryce Harper a couple years back.)
I’m a Huge Fan….I want him back in 2026…..I’m just not sure 2028 and 2029 I will be feeling the same.
“We’re going into this expecting to spend money, and maybe even be a little bit stupid about it. We just prefer not to be completely stupid.”
Power is the last thing to age in an athlete and since that’s all he’s here for he MIGHT be worth a 9 figure commitment. Wouldn’t do this unless he was the last missing piece of the puzzle for your roster. 33 year old fat DH shouldn’t be anybody’s priority.