Kyle Schwarber found his way back to the Phillies, and he hopes J.T. Realmuto does the same
“I’d be lying that I didn’t send a text to J.T trying to see where he’s at and try to coax him,” said Schwarber, who praised the Phillies for the “respect” he received during free agency.
ORLANDO — Any day now, Kyle Schwarber’s wife, Paige, will go into labor with their third child.
First, though, there was a contract to sign.
So, after reaching a five-year, $150 million agreement with the Phillies late Monday night, Schwarber hopped a flight early Tuesday to Philadelphia to take a physical and finalize the deal. By lunchtime Wednesday, he was back home in Ohio.
“I’m happy they were able to accommodate that, get me up there and get me back,” Schwarber said on a Zoom call. “So now, whenever our little girl comes into the world, I will be here.”
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Indeed, the week has been a whirlwind for Schwarber, and it’s only getting started. But between signing the largest contract ever for a designated hitter and racing home ahead of the baby, Schwarber found time to deliver a recruiting pitch to a good friend.
“I’d be lying that I didn’t send a text to J.T. [Realmuto]," Schwarber said, “trying to see where he’s at and try to coax him.”
If Schwarber was Priority No. 1 for the Phillies, Realmuto is 1-B. While the rival Mets lost core pieces Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso in free agency on back-to-back days, the Phillies are proudly trying to bring back the band from 95- and 96-win teams that were a Tush Push — or maybe a youth infusion from Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and, eventually, Aidan Miller — away from getting over the top.
Schwarber said he’s “trying to be respectful” of Realmuto’s free-agent process. And surely he can relate.
In finding his way back to the Phillies, Schwarber cited the “respect” he received during his 37-day free agency from the organization that helped him evolve into one of the most prodigious sluggers in the sport.
Because as much as Schwarber wanted to stay with the Phillies, he also welcomed the chance to explore his market before the biggest payday of his career.
Schwarber had been a free agent before. Twice, actually. But the first time came in 2020, with his value at its nadir after the Cubs didn’t tender him a contract. A year later, the owners locked out the players and shut down the sport for 99 days. When the stoppage ended, the Phillies signed Schwarber for four years and $79 million, among the best free-agent deals in franchise history.
This time, Schwarber hit the market with the force of a 56-homer season — and 187 home runs over four years, tied with Shohei Ohtani for second among all hitters and trailing only Aaron Judge.
Few names were more prominent on the free-agent menu.
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“When you reach free agency, you want that opportunity to go out and listen and make sure all your bases are covered,” Schwarber said. “You want to hear all different types of information and make sure that you’re making a really great, informed decision. I appreciate the whole process and don’t take it lightly.”
The Phillies gave Schwarber space to hear pitches from the Orioles, Pirates, and his hometown Reds, among other teams, with the understanding that he would circle back to them when he began receiving offers.
But they didn’t send him into the free-agent wilds without making clear what he meant to them.
The owner even made a house call.
First, Schwarber had what he described as a “really, really good conversation” with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski a few days after the divisional series loss to the Dodgers. Then, before he and Paige packed up their two sons and returned to Ohio, John Middleton knocked on the door of their South Jersey home.
“We were able to spend a really good amount of time just sitting down and talking about the Phillies and his family and talking about what’s the future looking like for us here,” Schwarber said. “Those were conversations that I just never forgot, right?
“Like, you start having different conversations with different teams, and just because those conversations were fresh, it doesn’t mean that anything was forgotten. That was an important time and important conversations that Dave and Mr. Middleton, that we had.
“Trust me, I took notes. Once I had everything all said and done, you can look at everything and know that John is committed to winning and wants our organization to continue to keep pushing for a world championship. What else is there for a player to ask for, you know?”
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The Phillies sent Realmuto into free agency with a similar message. The veteran catcher, who will be 35 next season, is weighing multiple offers, a source said Wednesday, the final day of the winter meetings at the Signia by Hilton. It’s unknown whether any of the offers are for more than two years. MLB.com reported that the Phillies have made a bid.
After re-signing Schwarber, the Phillies can focus on remaking the outfield, filling out the bullpen, and adding overall pitching depth. With 2026 payroll commitments totaling approximately $286 million, as calculated for the luxury tax, some of those pursuits may involve clearing payroll space by trading, say, Alec Bohm or Matt Strahm.
But Realmuto could be their next domino to drop. And Schwarber hopes the catcher will follow the path that led back to the corner of Pattison and Darien.
“Selfishly, I think that we would all love to have J.T. back,” Schwarber said. “Because we know what he brings to the table and how important he is to, not just our clubhouse but what he means to Philadelphia. ... He should be highly sought-after, and I’m hoping that, at the end of the day, he’s back in Philadelphia.”