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The Philadelphia Phillies are running it back this year, but it could be the last time.
Even after a disappointing playoff loss to the New York Mets last fall, the team opted not to make any dramatic changes to its offense over the winter. Instead, the Phillies are hoping for better results with the same veteran group of star players, including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos.
But that core can't stay together forever and the team's most productive hitter so far, Kyle Schwarber, might be the first member to leave.
After signing a four-year, $79 million deal to join the Phillies in 2022, Schwarber could become a free agent at the end of the season if the Phillies don't lock him into an extension first. And as he leads the National League in homers going into Monday, he's sure to have plenty of suitors if he can keep up his current pace.
But Schwarber is 32 years old and doesn't regularly play a defensive position. During this past offseason, Mets slugger Pete Alonso languished on the market and was ultimately unable to find himself a long-term contract. When asked if watching Alonso's free-agent experience made him worried about his own, Schwarber offered a two-word response that suggested it might have.
"Good question," Schwarber said, per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.
"I feel like I live on a daily basis, just like trying to get through the day and go from there," Schwarber added. "But this is where I feel like I've truly gotten to be myself and be the player I'm able to be."
With so much success in Philadelphia and a recent example of how harshly older sluggers can be treated in free agency, Schwarber might be looking to re-sign with the Phillies before ever hitting the market. For now, though, it seems his focus is mostly on hitting the ball out of the park.
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