As reported first by Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly, the Phillies have reached an agreement with free agent outfielder Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber has been a target of the Phillies since before the lockout even began, and Dombrowski and Fuld finally got their guy. The 29 year old will be getting a four year deal from the Phillies with an AAV just under $20 million per year, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
It was reported yesterday that the Toronto Blue Jays were attempting a big push for Schwarber, and today’s early morning trade for Matt Chapman may have taken them out of the running. While the Blue Jays were definitely not the only team going for Schwarber, the Phillies ended up getting their guy.
During the 2021 MLB season, Schwarber had a great year, mainly due to the help of former Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long, who is with the Phillies now. Schwarber ended up batting .266 with 32 home runs and 71 RBIs. He had a slugging of .544 and an OBP (On Base Percentage) of .374. Schwarber will look to maintain those stats as his new home ballpark is very hitter friendly in Citizens Bank Park.
The signing of Kyle Schwarber is a fantastic one for the Philadelphia Phillies. Schwarber can provide an immediate impact on a Phillies lineup who desperately needed another power bat in it besides Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and JT Realmuto. Another thing about Schwarber is that he could bat leadoff for a Phillies team that very badly needed a leadoff hitter. Finally, Kyle Schwarber has been part of a winning ball club before, and that is something that Dave Dombroski wanted to add to the Phillies this offseason. Well the signing of Schwarber did that, and it is a signing that is going to pay off really well for the Phillies this upcoming season.
Now, the signing of Kyle Schwarber leaves the Phillies with just about $10 million to go until they reach the $230 million luxury tax limit. This most likely takes the team out of consideration for other top free agents such as Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, and others. That is unless Dave Dombrowski has other tricks up his sleeve that we do not know about. To end it off, the Phillies have finally made their big signing of free agency, and it is a player who will cause an immediate impact both in and out of the clubhouse. Good work Dave and Sam, good work.