Kyle Schwarber and his freshly inked five-year, $150 million deal sent shockwaves across the MLB Winter Meetings on Tuesday morning. The Philadelphia Phillies brought back their big slugger and, in turn left numerous MLB teams empty-handed in their pursuit of Schwarber. The Cincinnati Reds felt the brunt of it when they found out that Schwarber wasn't going to be relocating closer to his hometown in Ohio.
Schwarber is originally from Middletown, Ohio, less than an hour from Cincinnati. The Reds had been looking to increase their payroll and build on their young and talented roster but hadn't previously felt the need to make a splash. Schwarber becoming a free agent was the perfect storm of trying to add immediate power while harnessing the appeal of his hometown team.
Reds' Terry Francona had his bubble burst after Kyle Schwarber returned to Phillies
On Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the news broke that the Phillies and Schwarber were in agreement on a contract, Reds manager Terry Francona appeared on MLB Network Radio and appeared to be giddy about the prospect of adding Schwarber.
When asked about how nice it would be to get a big left-handed bat, an obvious reference to Schwarber, Francona let out a great guffaw before answering.
"Hypothetically, I think I'm probably preaching to the choir here, there's proably 29 other teams that think that guy's pretty good, as do we," Francona said. "But out of respect to him, I'll let him talk about that. But you're right, guys like that, they're difference makers."
"Guys like that... they're difference makers."
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 8, 2025
Terry Francona says about all he can say about those Kyle Schwarber rumors:#ATOBTTR #Reds
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This appearance came in the midst of the Reds reportedly being strong contenders to upset the Phillies' chase for Schwarber. Francona seemed mighty excited about the prospect of signing the hometown slugger, as he should be.
But he seemed almost too excited. Like he knew something we didn't.
In the end, the Reds and Francona's dream was short-lived after Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies, leaving Cincinnati with no backup plan.
Kyle Schwarber's Phillies contract squashed Reds' only hope of a big offseason signing
Free agency doesn't come cheap, no matter how many options a club has. The problem is, if you're a team like the Reds, sometimes you only have that one chance to make it work. The Reds haven't been big spenders, but Schwarber was the exception.
The Reds' reported offer ended up being five years and $125 million. They tried to compete with the Phillies, but with Philadelphia willing to match any potential offer, Cincinnati succumbed to the reality that it wasn't going to happen. The Reds then announced that they wouldn't pursue other top players in free agency as a result.
The Reds pulled back on their willingness to spend once Schwarber came off the board (subscription required), according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It was indeed Schwarber or bust for them this winter.
“Unlike the Orioles, the Reds are not expected to pursue other expensive free agents,” per Rosenthal. “Their offer to Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio, about 35 miles north of Cincinnati, was tied to their belief that his addition would help drive ticket sales.”
It's not a great place to be if you're the Reds. They're finally willing to spend on a free agent to drive up ticket sales, but they also end up picking the one player in free agency that many never expected to leave his current club. The Phillies keeping Schwarber crushed any hopes the Reds apparently had of spending, and now they find themselves back to square one.
It's not easy to keep spending the way the Phillies do, and now teams like the Reds understand the challenges. Schwarber and the Phillies can move on happily, and the Reds are stuck asking where things went wrong.