The Philadelphia Phillies enter a pivotal offseason after falling short of the World Series once again. The Phillies lost in four games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, and questions will be swirling around the ballclub all offseason.
Perhaps the biggest question is the free agency status of slugger Kyle Schwarber. After the NLDS loss, Schwarber weighed in on the impending free agency.
“I got a lot of respect for the guys in here, our organization, the coaches, the coaching staff, everyone top to bottom. This is a premier organization and a lot of people should feel, you know, very lucky that you're playing for a team that is trying to win every single year. And you have a fan base that cares and you have ownership that cares and you have coaches that care, you have everyone in the room that cares.”
The slugger finished the regular season with a .240 batting average with 56 home runs, 132 RBI and 111 runs scored in a monster offensive season. But, there is a chance he gets signed by somebody else, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned New York Mets star Pete Alonso as a potential pivot player in that situation.
“The Phillies need to find a way to get Schwarber signed — no matter how painful it is in terms of price. If for some reason he departs, then a quick pivot to signing Pete Alonso would make sense,” Bowden wrote.
“Alonso (31 next season) is younger than Schwarber and played in all 162 games for the second straight season. He was productive in 2025 after a down 2024, belting 38 homers and driving in 126 runs. He’s also another strong clubhouse presence and offers the ability to play first base if the team needs to spell Harper at that spot,” Bowden added.
Schwarber should get some big offers in free agency, and moving on to Alonso could be a smart idea for the Phillies for the reasons Bowden listed. However, Alonso is reportedly seeking a seven-year deal, so it could also be a large chunk of change for the Phillies to bring him to town.
