As the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season begins to wind down, the Philadelphia Phillies have a massive free agent decision looming. Kyle Schwarber is in the final year of the four-year, $79 million contract he signed with the team before the 2022 season.
Schwarber has been making a hair under $20 million a year with the Phillies, and even at 32 years old, he’s likely in for a big payday. The Phillies and Schwarber are interested in a reunion, but other teams will be lining up for his services if he’s unsigned before free agency begins.
Reds pulling out all the stops to sway Kyle Schwarber’s free agent decision
The Phillies are in the middle of a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds, like many other teams, would love to add a talent like Schwarber to their lineup.
Coincidentally, Schwarber grew up in Middletown, Ohio, about a 45-minute drive from Cincinnati. With Schwarber playing against his hometown team this week, the Reds took the opportunity to try to woo the slugger away from the Phillies in free agency.
Prior to Tuesday’s game at Great American Ball Park, Schwarber caught the ceremonial first pitches thrown by his dad, Greg, and his youth baseball coach, per MLB.com’s Paul Casella. His dad and youth coach were the recipients of the Reds' annual Paul Kramer Awards this year and were honored by having them throw out first pitches.
For those wondering about the context here, Schwarber's youth coach and dad were the recipients of the Reds' annual Paul Kramer Awards this year. So, the Reds had them throw out first pitches as part of that -- and, obviously, they did it tonight to have Schwarber be part of it.
— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) August 12, 2025
Although a simple gesture, it was a well-planned move by the Reds to play with Schwarber’s heartstrings ahead of free agency. The three-time All-Star wasn’t shy to express his feelings toward a potential pairing with the Reds if he moves on from the Phillies.
“I’ve always said that at some point in your career, if you would ask the childhood Kyle what team you’d like to play for, it would be Cincinnati,” Schwarber told The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans about the possibility of signing with the Reds in free agency (subscription required). “I think those are natural thoughts, that it would be appealing. But you never know what happens in free agency. Going through it a couple of times now, it’s an interesting scenario.”
Schwarber, a National League MVP candidate, is enjoying a career year with the Phillies in 2025. His 42 home runs and 97 RBIs are among the major league leaders and are nearing his single-season records.