Phillies Slugger in No Rush to Sign Extension After Talks Break Down

A Philadelphia Phillies slugger isn't in any rush when it comes to extension talks as he wants to let the season play out.

Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a home run in front of Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings (25) during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have proven early in the 2025 regular season that they are one of the best teams in baseball.

Going up against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in an early season series, they handled business, winning two out of three games.

It was an encouraging sign, as the Phillies proved to themselves and the rest of the MLB that they should not be taken lightly. The talent is there for this team to have another successful campaign in every facet.

One of the key contributors in the early going offensively is designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

After spending 2024 as the team’s leadoff hitter, manager Rob Thomson was looking to shake things up in his lineup. It is now shortstop Trea Turner handling the No. 1 spot, while Schwarber’s new home is as the cleanup hitter.

So far, so good with the change, with the veteran producing a .265/.390/.647 slash line, hitting four home runs with one double and eight RBI. The homers and RBI both lead the team and his excellent vision at the plate remains with five walks.

It will be interesting to see how things play out during the year as this could be Schwarber’s last with the franchise.

He is playing out an expiring contract and if the Philadelphia front office wants to shake up the roster, they could use the money from him and catcher J.T. Realmuto coming off the payroll to be redistributed elsewhere.

His future with the team is up in the air, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) shared in a recent newsletter, after extension talks deteriorated previously.

“The Phillies offered him an extension during the offseason, but after an initial proposal, talks failed to advance,” the MLB insider wrote.

However, this isn’t something foreign to Schwarber. As Rosenthal also noted, he turned down an extension from one of his previous teams, the Chicago Cubs, as he was fine with going year-to-year with his contract.

The veteran would reportedly like to remain with the Phillies, but he has no qualms about taking the same approach now as he did all those years ago.

“And while he wants to stay in Philadelphia, he’s also content playing out his free-agent year. He will be 33 next season, but surely would be in demand on the open market,” Rosenthal added.

His skill set is a unique one, as he is the epitome of the three-outcome kind of player.

A majority of his at-bats end in a strikeout, walk or home run. It has led to some incredibly productive seasons in his career, with New York Yankees superstar and two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge being the only player with more home runs than him since 2022.

Should Schwarber hit the open market, Philadelphia would assuredly face competition attempting to sign him to a deal.

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