Ruben Amaro Jr. Thinks Long Term Deal is Top Priority for Phillies' DH Kyle Schwarber
Anyone who can be compared to Aaron Judge right now is having a great season in his own right. Kyle Schwarber is one of those exceptional few.
With his 12th home run of the season Tuesday night, Schwarber tied Judge for the major league lead. He's also fourth in OPS (.999) and eighth in RBI (28) across MLB. All told, it's setting him up to be one of the top names on the free agent market this offseason.
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But according to former Phillies' General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr., money isn't the main obstacle in the way of an extension.
"It's not about the money; it's about the length of the contract," Amaro said on the latest episode of 'The Phillies Show.' "I can see it being a four or five-year deal if he keeps doing the things he's doing now... the man's gonna make his money, and he's gonna get length."
Kyle Schwarber has mashed 155 home runs (including postseason) in a Phillies uniform. Only Aaron Judge has more since the start of 2022.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Schwarber is 32 years old but, as Amaro put it, seems to be getting better with age. He's accomplished the very rare trifecta of 100+ walks, runs scored, and runs batted in two seasons in a row, and his strong start to 2025 puts him on track to do so again.
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He's also been an extremely important part of the Phillies core that's won a National League Pennant and played in the most postseason games the past three years. While the negatives - a high strikeout rate and poor defensive abilities - somewhat limit Schwarber, he is still a valuable piece for any club that fancies itself a championship contender.
Whether the Phillies current front office values their DH enough to keep him for at least as long as his first deal remains to be seen. They also have to consider whether or not to let catcher J.T. Realmuto and pitcher Ranger Suárez walk as free agents - none of which are easy decisions.
Related: Phillies' Alec Bohm Reveals Feelings Amid Slow Start
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