The Philadelphia Phillies are in a position to make the postseason, and Kyle Schwarber’s MVP-caliber season is a big reason why.
Schwarber has a .256/.379/.585 with a National League-leading 40 home runs and a league-leading 94 RBIs through 114 games. He will be a free agent after the season, and he is set up for a raise from his current four-year, $79 million deal.
Even though he does not provide much, if anything, defensively, many teams will be interested in him. ESPN’s Buster Olney revealed that Schwarber may have a preference in free agency that is not the Phillies.
“Schwarber currently ranks eighth in the NL in WAR, behind multidimensional players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, (Shohei) Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Tucker,” wrote Olney. “But Schwarber is going to make big money in free agency in the fall, no matter where he lands. Some friends of his in the game wonder if he’d prefer to play closer to his Midwest roots.”
Schwarber is in his 11th season and will turn 33 next year. He is seemingly closer to the end of his career than the start, so it makes sense that he may want to play closer to his home. Schwarber is an Ohio native, but if he wants to play in the Midwest, there are a handful of teams to choose from.
The Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers all play in the Midwest. Pennsylvania shares a border with Ohio, so perhaps he is willing to just stay in Philadelphia, but the fact that Olney brings it up makes it a point to note as his free agency looms.
Of the teams that play in the Midwest states, not many can afford Schwarber. The Cubs may be willing to bring him back, but if he is interested in playing for the highest bidder, the Phillies may be a tough team to beat.
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