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Tag: Kyle Schwarber

  • Phillies give the incomparable Kyle Schwarber an incomparable contract, still need another big bat behind him

    Phillies give the incomparable Kyle Schwarber an incomparable contract, still need another big bat behind him

    Kyle Schwarber was going to finish his career in a Phillies uniform. They’d been saying it without saying it since October. On Tuesday, they said it explicitly.

    Five years, $150 million.

    It is a remarkable sum of money on many levels. But, then, Schwarber is a remarkable hitter on many levels. Only three players in major league history have hit more home runs in the first three years of their 30s. Aaron Judge is the only player who has done it since the height of the steroid era. Sammy Sosa and Jim Thome are the other two. Schwarber’s 141 home runs between 30 and 32 years old are nine more than Babe Ruth hit at the same age.

    Source: Phillies, Kyle Schwarber agree to five-year, $150 million contract

    You can bet that Thome was on John Middleton’s mind when the Phillies owner signed off on his latest megabucks deal. Heading into his age-33 season, Schwarber is older than most free agents who sign contracts like his. But he is only one year older than Thome was when the latter signed his six-year, $85 million contract with the Phillies in December 2002.

    That deal aged well. Thome remained one of the game’s elite power bats well into his late 30s. He averaged 28 home runs and 484 plate appearances per season between the ages of 34 and 38. That was a significant drop-off from the 45 and 651 he averaged between 29 and 33. But no matter. The Phillies will be thrilled to be paying Schwarber $30 million in 2030 dollars if they can pencil in 30 home runs from him at the age of 38.

    Mostly, though, that fifth year is the cost of doing business. Schwarber’s elite-elite power would have meant a dramatic upgrade to virtually any lineup in the majors. There was a market for his services. And the Phillies would have been devastated to lose him.

    Middleton surely will tell you that a deal like this is bigger than dollars and cents and on-field statistics.

    Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs in an epic 2025 season. Here’s what to know about each one.

    The Phillies feel like they need Schwarber in the middle of their lineup, yes. That much is obvious. He has scored or driven in 21.7% of the 3,105 runs they’ve produced in the last four regular seasons. But the Phillies also feel they need Schwarber in the clubhouse and on the team charter and on the Wall of Fame when all is said and done. Certain players belong with certain franchises. The Phillies were willing to pay to cement that association.

    They also were willing to bear the risk that Schwarber ages like so many sluggers who came before him. There really isn’t a recent comparable for giving a 33-year-old designated hitter a five-year, $150 million deal. Schwarber’s representation probably pointed to the six-year, $162 million contract Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers in 2022. Freeman was one year younger than Schwarber, and he plays the field.

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    So, yes, there is plenty of risk. Over the last 15 years, only three players have had more than two seasons of 30-plus home runs between the ages of 33 and 37. Eight had two or more. That’s not exactly a bankable track record. In 2030, the Phillies will be paying a combined $115-plus million to 37-year-old Schwarber, 37-year-old Bryce Harper, 37-year-old Trea Turner, and 37-year-old Aaron Nola.

    Free agent Pete Alonso is an impact bat that could transform the Phillies lineup.

    There also is some risk on the front end. The Phillies have never shown a blatant disregard for luxury tax spending the way the Dodgers and Mets have. All indications are that they live in a world that has limits. Every dollar they pay to someone is a dollar less they can pay to someone else. In such a world, $30 million is a lot to commit each year to a player who is locked into the designated hitter position. If the Phillies intend to match their spending pattern of previous offseasons, they already are running out of disposable funds. Schwarber’s deal puts them at a projected $288 million in payroll commitments for 19 players.

    If ever there was a time to go for broke, that time is now. While Schwarber may have been the biggest question of the offseason, nearly as big is the questions of where he hits and who hits behind him. The Phillies have been missing a third power bat in the middle of the order ever since Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in 2023 and then left via free agency.

    In Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, there are a couple of marquee free-agent bats available who would push the Phillies lineup much closer to reaching its potential. Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández is rumored to be available via trade, although at $22 million a year, he wouldn’t offer much of a discount on an annual basis over the top of the free-agent market.

    In short, Schwarber was a given. Only something drastic and unforeseen would have prevented him from wearing red pinstripes in 2026 and beyond. Any judgment of the Phillies’ offseason will depend on what happens next.

  • Team USA adds ‘chemistry guy’ Kyle Schwarber to its roster for WBC

    Team USA adds ‘chemistry guy’ Kyle Schwarber to its roster for WBC

    ORLANDO — Kyle Schwarber had a busy Tuesday.

    Even before the designated hitter agreed to a five-year, $150 million extension with the Phillies, he had already committed to playing for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

    Schwarber joined Phillies teammates Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto on Team USA in 2023, winning a silver medal. He hit two home runs in five games.

    On a team with four MVPs and 21 All-Stars in 2023, Schwarber stood out, according to USA manager and Penn alumnus Mark DeRosa.

    Source: Phillies, Kyle Schwarber agree to five-year, $150 million contract

    “He was the chemistry guy for me, last time,” DeRosa said. “He was the guy. Listen, there’s nerves in there. I don’t care how good a player you are. When you walk in a room full of superstars, and then the eyes of the world are on you, there’s pressure to perform in front of the greats. He attacks it.

    “He’s in the dugout, [saying], ‘Everyone relax. Do what you do.’ Even to me, coming up, rubbing my shoulders, just like, ‘I got you.’ There’s just no panic with this guy.”

    Schwarber is one of 10 players on the U.S. roster for 2026, joining outfielders Aaron Judge, Corbin Carroll, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, second baseman Brice Turang, shortstops Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson, catchers Cal Raleigh and Will Smith, and pitcher Paul Skenes. The final roster will have 30 players.

    Kyle Schwarber celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a three-run home run against Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

    DeRosa said he circled back to speak with Schwarber on Sunday and had no idea that he was about to re-sign with the Phillies. He wanted to know where Schwarber preferred to hit in the lineup, as he spent several seasons as the Phillies’ leadoff man until 2025, when he primarily hit second in the order behind Turner.

    “He honestly said, his quote was, ‘D, I don’t care where you hit me. I’m going to walk and hit homers. The leadoff spot, the second spot, the third spot,’” DeRosa said.

    Phillies extend Rob Thomson’s contract through the 2027 season

    Team USA lost to Japan in the 2023 final, which ended on a duel between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. As the U.S. seeks to reclaim the title of world champion in March, the coaching staff believes Schwarber will be a key piece to the puzzle.

    “I think it just goes to show how confident he is as a player and as a hitter and how great a guy he is,” DeRosa said. “He’s got that football mentality. He was a linebacker in high school, and he brings it right into the clubhouse. He’s got an infectious personality, and everyone loves him. And he backs it up.”

  • Source: Phillies, Kyle Schwarber agree to five-year, $150 million contract

    Source: Phillies, Kyle Schwarber agree to five-year, $150 million contract

    ORLANDO — He’s back.

    The Phillies and Kyle Schwarber agreed to a five-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday night. A source told The Inquirer that the deal totals $150 million.

    The contract will take Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, through his age-37 season.

    Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said repeatedly this fall that re-signing Schwarber was “a real priority” for the club.

    Phillies give the incomparable Kyle Schwarber an incomparable contract, still need another big bat behind him

    “He’s so different than most of the guys I’ve ever been around,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s a great player, one, and he knows how to bring the heartbeat of the clubhouse down when things are going rough. Not only the clubhouse, but individuals as well. I’ve talked about it to no end. He’s just a huge part of our ballclub.”

    While primarily a designated hitter, Schwarber has seen occasional time in left field when needed to give the Phillies more flexibility with the DH spot. He also took reps at first base last spring. Thomson said Schwarber could continue to see time in left once in a while to give another teammate a day off from defense.

    Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs in his final season before free agency.

    Since Schwarber signed his first contract with the Phillies in 2022, a four-year, $79 million deal, he accumulated 11.1 WAR, bashed 187 home runs, and drove in 434 runs. He also underwent a total transformation against left-handed pitching. In 2025, Schwarber hit 23 home runs against lefties to set a single-season record for a left-handed batter.

    That was only one chapter in his milestone season, when he hit 56 homers — including four in one game — to finish two shy of Ryan Howard’s franchise record. Schwarber was runner-up for National League MVP.

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    “Schwarb’s obviously one of our team leaders, one of the cornerstones of this organization,” Bryce Harper said after the Phillies were eliminated from the NLDS.

    Thomson, who texted with Schwarber on Tuesday to check in, said he’s confident that Schwarber will be able to maintain his production throughout the length of the contract.

    “I think just his work ethic. The body’s gotten better over time. He’s in the best shape of his life right now, and I don’t think that that’s going to change,” he said. “He’s so intelligent. He sees the game a little bit different than a lot of other guys, and he works at it, watches a lot of film.

    Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs in an epic 2025 season. Here’s what to know about each one.

    “I think there’s a really good chance that he’s going to maintain this level. I mean, this was an unbelievable year for him. So I don’t think we can expect this every year, but I still think he’s going to be a high-level performer.”

    Schwarber was also announced on Tuesday as one of the latest players to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, which gets underway in March.

    Staff writer Scott Lauber contributed to this article.

  • Winter meetings preview: The outlook for Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, a potential trade, and more

    Winter meetings preview: The outlook for Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, a potential trade, and more

    As free agents, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto are entitled to shop around for the best offers.

    The Phillies have given them space.

    “It’s really more their process than it is ours at this time in the sense that they set the time frame,” Dave Dombrowski said. “They know we have interest, and then it’s up to them to kind of say, ‘OK, we’re ready to move forward,’ or not, whenever that ends up happening.”

    That was three weeks ago. Schwarber and Realmuto have had five weeks to browse the market. By now, they have a decent idea of what’s there for them beyond the Delaware Valley. The Phillies probably do, too.

    The Phillies have made progress, but still haven’t signed a player out of Japan. Will that change soon?

    And with the baseball world set to gather again Sunday night in Orlando for the three-day winter meetings, it might finally be time for all parties to circle back to one another. In the shadow of the Magic Kingdom, of all places, the fantasyland of rumors about which teams are curious about which players will give way to a better sense of reality about whether Schwarber and Realmuto will return or move on.

    The Phillies haven’t hidden their strong desire to keep both. Even though Schwarber will be 33 and Realmuto 35, and they’re central to a team that made the playoffs four years in a row but stubbed its toe in October, Dombrowski described them as “very important” and said they “mean a lot to the organization.”

    With the exception of Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, owner John Middleton hasn’t lost out on a free agent that he’s wanted since the “stupid money” winter of 2018-19. And free agents have wanted to play in Philly over the last half-decade because of the culture set by Schwarber, Realmuto, et al.

    No wonder most of the industry expects Schwarber and Realmuto to find their way back to the corner of Pattison and Darien.

    Phillies owner John Middleton hasn’t been outbid for many free agents over the last half-decade.

    But even if it feels like almost a fait accompli, the mission for their agents is to get offers that will at least drive up the price. Maybe they’ve done that. Maybe not.

    Schwarber’s market is especially fascinating because it lacks most of the high-payroll teams. The Dodgers’ designated hitter is Shohei Ohtani, only the best player on the planet. The Yankees (Giancarlo Stanton) and Astros (Yordan Alvarez) are set at DH, too. George Springer had a career renaissance as a DH for the Blue Jays, who are in on seemingly every marquee free agent except Schwarber. The Cubs appear to be focused on pitching.

    The Red Sox want to add a middle-of-the-order bat, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said last month, and Alex Cora loved managing Schwarber in 2021. But given their lineup’s lefty lean and Fenway Park’s dimensions, righty-hitting Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman might be better fits. And Boston doesn’t spend money like it once did, either.

    GM meetings takeaways: The J.T. Realmuto question, competition for Kyle Schwarber, and more

    The Reds’ interest in bringing Schwarber home to southwest Ohio is real, multiple sources confirmed this week. It makes sense for a young team that is rich in starting pitching but lacking power and veteran leadership. Asked in July about the prospect of being courted by his childhood team, Schwarber said this: “I think it’d be awesome.”

    But the Reds intend to keep their payroll in the $120 million range, president of baseball operations Nick Krall told reporters last month, leaving them with about $20 million to spend for 2026. Schwarber figures to cost at least $30 million per year.

    And even if they had the cash, spending big for free agents isn’t in the Reds’ organizational DNA. They’ve done only two nine-figure contracts in their history, and Joey Votto and Homer Bailey were extensions. Their largest free-agent contracts: Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos, both four years, $64 million.

    That leaves, well, who? Various reports have linked Schwarber to the Giants and Pirates (seriously).

    The Mets are “in the mix” for Schwarber, at least according to an ESPN.com report. It’s plausible as a backup plan if New York doesn’t re-sign Alonso, although president of baseball operations David Stearns emphasized run prevention as the team’s chief offseason focus. Schwarber doesn’t help there.

    But the best way for Schwarber’s agents to hike the price on the Phillies might be to claim interest from the rival Mets, owned by Steve Cohen, the wealthiest man in baseball. And the Mets could attempt to gain leverage over Alonso by suggesting they’d pivot to Schwarber.

    In any case, the Phillies remain the favorite in the Schwarber derby.

    “You have the owner who wants him, you have Dave Dombrowski who wants him, you have the coaching staff, you have [manager] Rob Thomson, you have a fan base — everybody involved here wants [him] to be back, including Kyle — so what does it come down to?” hitting coach Kevin Long, who is close with Schwarber, said on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “What’s his market value, and are we willing to give him his market value? And I think the answer is yes to that.

    “I think it would be devastating to this organization and this fan base and everybody involved if he wasn’t a Phillie.”

    The last five weeks have been about establishing market value for Schwarber and Realmuto. Next week might finally mark the Phillies’ chance to meet it.

    A few other thoughts leading into the winter meetings:

    Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm is once again a candidate to be traded in the offseason.

    Trading places

    Two of the most intriguing offseason moves so far were one-for-one trades of major leaguers.

    The Orioles swapped four years of control over gifted but often-injured pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for walk-year outfielder Taylor Ward. Then, the Mets dealt popular outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien in a change-the-mix move.

    And there’s more to come.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Kevin Long on how it would be ‘devastating’ if Kyle Schwarber leaves, and more

    Across the sport, the trade market is hyperactive, multiple team officials said this week, perhaps because some clubs are wary of signing free agents to multiyear contracts amid labor uncertainty beyond 2026.

    Once again, Alec Bohm‘s name will come up in the Phillies’ conversations. But they couldn’t agree on his value in trade talks last winter, and it figures to be even lower now that the third baseman is one season from free agency.

    Lefty reliever Matt Strahm could be another potential chip, especially after Dombrowski volunteered in an end-of-year news conference that the veteran declined to do pitcher fielding drills before the postseason.

    Rivals believe the Phillies prefer trading from their major league roster rather than the farm system after moving teenage shortstop Starlyn Caba (for Jesús Luzardo) and catcher Eduardo Tait and right-hander Mick Abel (for Jhoan Duran) within the last calendar year. Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford are thought to be largely off limits, with Painter and Crawford ticketed for the opening-day roster and Miller close behind.

    As long as the Phillies cling to that trio, it’s difficult to see them matching up with the Diamondbacks for second baseman Ketel Marte, the Red Sox for outfielder Jarren Duran, or especially the Twins for center fielder Byron Buxton, if Buxton decides to waive his no-trade clause.

    But maybe there’s a trade to be made for someone like Astros center fielder Jake Meyers, a solid defender who batted .292 with a 103 OPS-plus this season and is reportedly available.

    Jesús Luzardo had a big season for the Phillies after being acquired in a trade last December.

    Making a pitch

    A year ago, the Phillies weren’t focused on starting pitching at the winter meetings. But they traded for Luzardo a few weeks later, and it wound up as their best offseason move.

    Just something to keep in mind.

    Because although the rotation remains the strength of the roster even amid the expected departure of free agent Ranger Suárez, there are questions. Aaron Nola is coming off an injury-interrupted season in which he posted a 6.01 ERA. Painter’s prospect shine isn’t quite as luminescent after he struggled in triple A.

    Oh, and although Zack Wheeler is close to throwing a ball again, a source said this week, the recovery from thoracic outlet decompression surgery isn’t always a linear process.

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    And Dombrowski, who values starting pitching as much as any executive in the sport, recently noted the drop-off after Cristopher Sánchez, Luzardo, Wheeler, Nola, Taijuan Walker, and Painter.

    “We don’t have a lot of starting pitching depth, so that’s something that we have to be cognizant of,” he said. “It’s not our highest priority, but I can’t say that we wouldn’t [add another starter]. That doesn’t necessarily mean top of the market, but where does that fit in? Because you never have enough starting pitching.”

    After making a bid for Yamamoto two years ago, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Phillies show interest in Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai. Or maybe they will be opportunistic in the trade market again.

    One other bit of winter-meetings business: The Phillies are still looking for a bench coach. Don Mattingly remains a leading candidate, if he’s interested in returning to the dugout after leaving the Blue Jays’ staff after the World Series.

  • The Phillies can’t afford not to re-sign Kyle Schwarber

    The Phillies can’t afford not to re-sign Kyle Schwarber

    What would it mean to keep Kyle Schwarber in a Phillies uniform?

    Just look at the names he is likely to pass on the franchise’s all-time home runs list by the end of 2026, his age-33 season.

    Sitting at 187 dingers since joining the Phillies, Schwarber likely will pass Bobby Abreu (195) and Dick Allen (204) before the All-Star break. A month or two later, he could pass Jimmy Rollins (216) and Cy Williams (217).

    By then, Schwarber will be in striking distance of three of the heaviest hitters in Phillies history, literally and figuratively.

    • Greg Luzinski, 223
    • Chase Utley, 233
    • Chuck Klein, 243

    A repeat of Schwarber’s 56 homers in 2025 would leave him in a tie with Klein for fifth place all-time. Only Del Ennis (259) and Pat Burrell (251) would stand between him and Mike Schmidt (548) and Ryan Howard (382).

    Dave Dombrowski’s biggest offseason headache? The bullpen, not the Phillies’ lineup.

    You can’t let a guy like that walk away. We know it. The Phillies know it. And, yeah, Schwarber’s agent knows it. Which is why we are here, in early December, on the eve of baseball’s annual winter meetings, still waiting for confirmation that the last of the Schwarbombs has yet to fall on South Philadelphia.

    Do not fret, sweet children. Save your angst for the Eagles. The baseball offseason is in its opening laps. The pace car is still on the track. The top of the market has barely begun to percolate. Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger … all have yet to agree to terms. All will remain free agents for the foreseeable future. Exactly one position player has signed a multiyear contract. Schwarber and the Phillies are right where we should have expected them to be.

    The one big deal to date actually bodes well for the Phillies. Josh Naylor’s five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Mariners suggests that the market won’t grow too outlandish for sluggers at nonpremium positions.

    Kyle Schwarber will enter his age-33 season coming off a 56-homer campaign in 2025.

    You can argue that Naylor barely qualifies as a slugger, with 88 home runs over the last four seasons. Whatever the semantics, he clearly is in a different power class. But there is some comparability here. Naylor’s 124 OPS+ from 2022 to 2025 is in a similar tier to Schwarber’s 134. He is also four years younger than Schwarber and has a good glove at first base.

    The logic goes something like this: The same types of teams that would have interest in a hitter like Schwarber probably would have interest in a hitter like Naylor. If Naylor had signed for six years and $120 million or five years and $110 million, we might be sitting here wondering if it really would be wise for the Phillies to shell out the stupid money it would take to retain Schwarber. The answer probably still would be yes. But it’s nice not to have to consider it.

    Three Nick Castellanos trades that show how little the Phillies should expect in return

    It’s fair to assume that the market will look as it has the past several seasons. There is a pretty hard limit on the amount teams are willing to spend on players who don’t add significant value on defense. Besides Juan Soto, the only hitters to sign for more than $95 million over the last three offseasons have played shortstop, center field, or starting pitcher (Shohei Ohtani). The last first baseman or designated hitter to sign for more than five years and $100 million was Freddie Freeman, who landed six years and $162 million from the Dodgers in 2022.

    Schwarber can — and should — argue that he is a different case. A typical designated hitter doesn’t finish second in MVP voting. Schwarber’s power and consistency are transcendent enough to disregard positional archetypes. The only hitter with more home runs than his 187 over the last four seasons is Aaron Judge (210). He, Judge, and Ohtani (also at 187) stand alone. In terms of impact on a contender, Schwarber is much closer to Freeman than he is to Naylor. Six years and $150 million is a defensible ask.

    The Phillies can argue that Schwarber’s age and positional limitations are legitimate factors. Just look at Pete Alonso, who is pretty close to a carbon copy of Schwarber at the plate. The Mets’ first baseman had to settle for a two-year, $54 million contract last offseason. Not only that, Alonso is on the market again after opting out of his deal. Or, consider Teoscar Hernández, who signed with the Dodgers for three years and $69 million last year. Schwarber is better than Hernández. But is he better than two Hernándezes? For the Phillies, four years and $100 million is a justifiable offer.

    Hopefully, we’re just waiting for the two sides to split the difference. Five years and $125 million would be a steep price to pay to lock up the designated hitter position through Schwarber’s age-37 season. But then, Schwarber will be bigger than a 37-year-old designated hitter when that time comes. He will be one of the defining players of an era, one of the franchise’s all-time greats, a fixture in the community and a potential Hall of Famer. He may have passed Howard for second on the franchise home run list. He may be closing in on 500 for his career.

    Can the Phillies afford to sign Schwarber?

    The better question is whether they can afford not to.

  • ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Joe Maddon on Kyle Schwarber’s evolution, and a potential key to playoff success

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Joe Maddon on Kyle Schwarber’s evolution, and a potential key to playoff success

    Kyle Schwarber spent much of his first five major league seasons trying to get things right against lefties.

    Joe Maddon watched the struggle up close.

    Schwarber was a .198 hitter with a .658 OPS in 374 plate appearances against lefties from 2015 to 2020, and as the Cubs’ manager, Maddon was hard-pressed to keep him in the lineup. After the 2020 season, under an ownership mandate to cut payroll, Chicago let Schwarber go.

    GM meetings takeaways: The J.T. Realmuto question, competition for Kyle Schwarber, and more

    It must have been quite a sight, then, for Maddon to watch Schwarber bat .300 against lefties in 2024 for the Phillies and set a single-season major league record with 23 left-on-left homers this year.

    Schwarber became a complete hitter in four seasons with the Phillies — and put himself in position to cash in this offseason in free agency. As Schwarber’s market develops, Maddon sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss the slugger’s maturation as a hitter.

    Maddon also weighed in on how the Phillies can best protect Bryce Harper in the lineup, the value of experience in the manager’s seat, and more. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.

    Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

    Q: You managed Schwarber in his first five years in the big leagues, and there were real questions about his ability to hit lefties and be an everyday player. What goes through your mind this year, when you see him set a record with 23 homers against left-handers and evolve into a complete hitter?

    A: The guy’s all heart. He comes from a family of first responders. He’s got a great charity organization. I love his wife, Paige. Also haven’t met the baby yet, but there’s a lot to love about this guy. He’s real … and that’s why he fits in so well in Philadelphia.

    When we had him there [in Chicago], I wanted to hit him leadoff because of all the attributes that we’re discussing right now, the fact that I thought he had a good eye at the plate, he would accept his walks, and he could put you up 1-0 before the first hitter is done right there. However, he was deficient against left-handed pitching at that time. He didn’t wait on the ball as well as he does right now. … You can see the difference in the way that Schwarbs just lets the ball get to him, as opposed to wanting to go get it, especially against the left-handed pitcher, the ability to hit the ball to left-center has really highlighted that even better. So am I surprised? No, I thought that eventually it would get to that point.

    Where will Kyle Schwarber land? Sizing up the Phillies’ competition in the free-agent sweepstakes

    If you’re the Cubs, at that point in his career, it’s hard to be patient. I was criticized for [hitting him] leadoff, even though I really thought it was a great idea, and you’ve seen it’s worked well, even in Philadelphia when they do that. But he really did need to learn a new approach, mentally and physically, against left-handed pitching. And he has. They’ve done a wonderful job.

    The other part that was against him was his defense. He had been a catcher. When he came up, we put him in the outfield, and he was a below-average outfielder. There’s no way to describe it otherwise. But he had a good arm. He made some really great throws. And of course, he’s one of those guys, if you tell him he can’t do something, he’s going to prove you wrong, which he’s done his entire existence, from [college at] Indiana on up, and even probably when he was in high school. So these are the things he had to learn. He has learned them.

    I’m so happy for him and his family that this all happened now, so that probably, I would say absolutely, a three-year heavy contract with maybe a fourth year as an option is in order right now. I’d love to see him stay in Philadelphia, because I think his sensibilities, his personality, plays with that fan base extremely well, and that’s not going to go away.

    However, I know Dave Dombrowski really well. David and I scouted together in Arizona back in the ’80s. David’s a real baseball guy. He’s going to look beyond certain components of this. They know what they see, also talking to him and the impact he has in the clubhouse. I would like to believe he’s going to stay in Philadelphia, and I think he should. I don’t know that if somebody wants to give him a couple more million bucks than the Phillies do, that, I still think Schwarbs is grounded enough that he’s going to go where he wants to go, as opposed to being swayed by a couple extra dollars.

    Rob Thomson’s Phillies have been bounced from the playoffs in the NLDS each of the last two seasons.
    Q: What do you make of where the Phillies stand in their competitive cycle, and how far do you think they can go with the same group?

    A: If you’re going to change things, you’ve got to pretty much make sure that you’re getting better, right? They are good. I like watching them. I watch them often, and I think they have grit. I think they have great camaraderie. I love their leadership. I don’t know what else you want, really. I mean to say that we’re just going to blow this up and all of a sudden we’re going to be as good next year as we were the last two or three years, and then we’re going to do better in the playoffs, that’s kind of a reach for me.

    With this group, I would look to tweak it a little bit. I wouldn’t necessarily look to blow it up. There’s just too many good players on that roster, and I really think they interact well.

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    The division itself, with the Mets, the Braves off a bad year are going to probably be better. But I still think Philly’s the right team, the team that has a chance to repeat again as the champs of their division again next year.

    My biggest thing I would look at is, “how do we prep for playoffs? What are we doing there?” My big thing is, when you get to the playoffs, I like to do less and not more. And analytical departments like to do more and not less. That time of the year, you’ve already played all these teams. You’ve played them; you’ve seen them. And then there’s the meetings. If they become more laborious, more detailed, longer, you’re putting more stuff on guys’ plate, that would be the mistake I would consider. So I don’t know this. I’m just saying I would really look at the prep work, because what would always frustrate me, we would go through the whole year, you get to this particular juncture, and now is the time to really let your players get out there, rested body, rested mind, and free. Give them a nugget or two, but let them go play some baseball, which is why we just love the World Series.

    … I had Shohei [Ohtani], I’ve had a lot of these guys — they don’t hold on to analytical nuggets when the game’s played. They don’t. That’s for managers and coaches to really decipher before a game. But then again, it has to be distilled. When you get too much information, it only serves to confuse. And again, I don’t know anything here, because I’m not privy to this, but I would look into, how are we prepping going into the playoffs? What are we laying on these guys, and how are we approaching them at that point? Because, quite frankly, they look a little bit more uptight to me in the playoffs than they do during the regular season. Like with Arizona a couple years ago [in the NLCS], I couldn’t believe that.

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    So, I would really research and analyze my approach into that part of the year. Because obviously the approach during the year looks pretty darn good, and I don’t see that changing. So whatever you feel as though there was a deficiency, yes, try to add on to that. There’s got to be some micro stuff. But to blow that thing up doesn’t make any sense to me.

    Watch or listen to the full interview to hear Maddon’s thoughts on protecting Harper in the lineup, his connection with Phillies manager Rob Thomson, and more.