PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies during his post game interview after a 19-4 win over the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on August 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs during the game. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies face the prospect of losing their most productive slugger from this past season as some prominent figures are advocating for his departure.
After a career season with the Phillies suggested he is just getting better with age, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber reached free agency and will now be fielding offers from a number of interested teams.
Schwarber racked up the most RBI in all of the majors, along with a National League best 56 home runs and a .240/.365/.563 slash line. Virtually every Major League Baseball club would benefit from his bat slotting into the order, though he is limited to a designated hitter role, and the Phillies will surely have to match a significant contract offer if they hope to welcome him back.
The Boston Red Sox or Texas Rangers could be the team to make Schwarber that top offer, but it seems like his hometown Cincinnati Reds might be the best fit.
“The Reds took a big step forward in 2025, returning to the postseason for the first time in a 162-game season since 2013,” Mark Feinsand wrote for MLB.com. “Cincinnati hasn’t been a club to compete with the bigger markets when it comes to free agency, but the Reds can offer Schwarber something no other team can: the chance to play at home. Schwarber hails from nearby Middletown, Ohio, and while this feels like an unlikely spot for him to land, the Reds can’t be ruled out entirely.”
Throughout the season, as Schwarber was asked about his impending free agency, he indicated his desire to stick with the Phillies but also acknowledged that it would be intriguing to play for the team he grew up rooting for. And on paper, the Reds make sense as a destination.
The team has room for an everyday designated hitter, with Gavin Lux, Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer all capable of handling defensive roles to make room for Schwarber. ESPN’s Jeff Passan called the Reds signing Schwarber a “perfect transaction” and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine agreed.
“The Reds signing Kyle Schwarber would add big power to the lineup and bring a Middletown native back to Southwest Ohio!” the governor noted while retweeting Passan’s take.
While it might take more than a hometown connection and the enthusiasm of an elected official to bring Schwarber to the Reds, it seems the Phillies will have their work cut out for them if they want to bring their star slugger back into the fold for next year and into the future.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/11/14/ohio-governor-weighs-in-on-value-of-phillies-kyle-schwarber-joining-reds/
