On Day two of the Winter Meetings, the Phillies had something to announce. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who hit 56 home runs in 2025 and was the runner-up in MVP voting, will return to the Phillies lineup. Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the deal stating that it is for five years and $150-million. The signing has since been confirmed by other writers although an official announcement has not come from either the Phillies or Schwarber’s agent Casey Close.
Schwarber, who will be 37 at the end of this contract, had initially signed a four-year/$79-million deal with the Phillies prior to the 2022 season. The new deal is reportedly worth a straight-forward $30-million per year.
“He’s so different than most of the guys I’ve ever been around,” manager Rob Thomson told reporters. “He’s a great player, one, and he knows how to bring the heartbeat of the clubhouse down when things are going rough. Not only the clubhouse, but individuals as well. I’ve talked about it to no end. He’s just a huge part of our ballclub.”
The signing of Schwarber was holding up the Phillies free agent plans for the upcoming season, so getting a decision on him was important for the team. Schwarber said publicly that he did not want to drag out the process deep into the offseason and wanted to make an early decision.
The next domino to fall may be catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has talked with other teams, but is thought to be leaning toward a return to Philadelphia. If Realmuto does not return to the team the only internal options would be Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs, and neither are thought of as starting catchers. The market for free agent catchers basically begins and ends with Realmuto. The others are primarily older, back-up type catchers. The best option would be a trade, with Adley Rutschman (9-29-.220/.307/.366/.673 in 90 games) of the Orioles having been mentioned as a potential target for the Phillies.
Rob Thomson has his contract extended
The Phillies have announced that they have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2027 season. After the exit of Joe Girardi, Thomson took over as interim manager and was later hired officially on a two-year contract following the 2022 season. Since then, Thomson and the Phillies have signed three one-year extensions for him to stay at the helm of the Phillies. Prior to joining the Phillies, Thomson served under Girardi on his Yankees coaching staff. As a manager, Thomson is 346-251.
The Phillies are courting Don Mattingly, the former manager of the Dodgers and Marlins and bench coach of the American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays, to take over as Thomson’s bench coach.
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