PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 9: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies tips his hat to the crowd after the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Mets 9-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies could be looking to change things up after failing to win more than a single playoff game for the second season in a row. But that seems unlikely to include moving on from star slugger Kyle Schwarber.
After four straight seasons of at least 38 homers and 94 RBI for the Phillies, Schwarber will be fielding offers from several interested teams as a free agent this winter. But he’s sure to give the Phillies a chance to match or exceed those offers, and the Phillies’ leadership has expressed interest in bringing him back.
“We love him,” team owner John Middleton said in July, per Jeff Kerr of CBS News. “We want to keep him.”
That might be easier said than done, as Schwarber is likely to earn a nine-figure contract going forward. But Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long is confident that a reunion will be worked out.
“I mean, when you have the owner who wants him, you have (president of baseball operations) Dave Dombrowski who wants him, you have the coaching staff, you have (manager) Rob Thomson, you have a fan base,” Long said of Schwarber, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I mean there’s really everybody involved here (who) wants (him) to be back, including Kyle.”
When asked what his level of confidence is in a return for Schwarber, Long offered a clear two-word projection: “very high,” the coach said, per Lauber.
Typically, teams might be wary of paying top dollar for an aging slugger who is limited to the designated hitter role. But Schwarber is coming off of the most productive season of his career and he seems to be getting better with age. Plus, the Phillies desperately need some lineup protection for franchise star Bryce Harper, who is coming off of a relatively down year at the plate.
“I think it would be devastating to this organization and this fan base and everybody involved if he wasn’t a Phillie,” Long added, according to Lauber. “So we’ll see where it ends up, but I feel very confident that he’ll be back.”
Long has been Schwarber’s hitting coach for years, dating back to the 2019 season with the Washington Nationals, so his prediction that a reunion is likely should carry some weight. After another disappointing season and an early playoff exit, Phillies fans are likely hoping that the coach’s confidence translates into a new contract for the star slugger.