Phillies $100M Slugger Responds on Kyle Schwarber Potentially Joining NL Rival
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The Philadelphia Phillies enjoyed a fourth straight win on Monday and it came with some heroics from their best player this season.
Superstar designated hitter Kyle Schwarber logged his 42nd home run of the season in the victory over his hometown Cincinnati Reds, briefly jumping ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for the most long balls in the National League.
But as Schwarber continues to make a strong case for a Most Valuable Player Award this year, questions are swirling about where he might play next. He has the chance to become a free agent this winter and seems set on testing the market, forcing the Phillies to match the highest offer he can find or risk losing him to a new team.
Schwarber's success against the Reds was also a reminder that he grew up rooting for the team and that it could be the destination that most intrigues him next.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies stands in the dugout prior to facing the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 09, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin...
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies stands in the dugout prior to facing the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 09, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) More
Cox/Getty
"Schwarber will be a free agent after this season, and it's natural to wonder just how many home runs he could hit at homer-friendly Great American Ball Park if he were to play here 81 times a year," C. Trent Rosecrans wrote for The Athletic. "At last month's All-Star Game he said it'd be 'cool' to play for the Reds, the team that helped him fall in love with baseball."
When asked about that possibility after Monday's game, Schwarber reiterated that it would be a thrill to play for the Reds but that he would also love to return to the Phillies, according to Rosecrans. But Schwarber's teammate, Nick Castellanos — who joined the Phillies on a $100 million deal after playing for two seasons with the Reds — was more verbose about Schwarber potentially joining his hometown team.
"I think he'd be a really productive baseball player in this ballpark, for sure," Castellanos said, while also noting that adding him would take an "unprecedented commitment" from team ownership, per Rosecrans.
As the Phillies continue to enjoy a career-best year from Schwarber, the success will naturally come with some anxiety about losing him. There are definitely some other destinations where he'd be poised for success in the future.
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