CLEARWATER, FL Veterans continue to arrive to BayCare Ballpark for spring training, filling the back-left corner of the Phillies’ clubhouse. Between Thursday and Saturday, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Edmundo Sosa arrived to unpack their baseball bags. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm have spent the majority of the week at the complex.
After being away for the winter, Castellanos and Schwarber had a lengthy embrace. Both of them are in their fourth season with the Phillies, but Schwarber’s deal expires in 2025, while Castellanos has one more season left. After the season, his $79 million, four-year deal comes to an end.
Three prominent Phillies players who are starting their walk years are Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez. Though nothing is assured, Schwarber is most likely to get a contract in advance out of the three.
He has interest, and it’s clear that the Phillies don’t want to see someone who plays such a crucial role depart. As a Phillie, Schwarber has hit 131 home runs during the regular season and 12 more during the postseason. In 2022 and 2024, he led the National League in home runs and walks, respectively. Last season, his batting average increased by 51 points to.248—the second-highest level in his career. In addition to all of that, he is a valuable team leader, one of the players who establishes the friendly environment the Phillies have established and who often takes the initiative to respond to inquiries when things aren’t going well.
Schwarber stated, “I have not heard what’s going to go on,” in reference to his contract. “I am aware that we have interest. If they come up to us and we start talking more and more, we’ll see what happens throughout this camp.
“My stay here has always been enjoyable … You feel as though you’ve settled in, gotten to know everyone, and reached your desired destination when you sign a four-year contract. Every year, we’ve been close. For me, the most exciting aspect has probably been knowing that you have a chance to win when you go in. Since the entire team and the entire city are focused on winning, that is what you want to feel as a player since, in certain cases, you may enter a venue and leave by September. In September, we always play a lot of important baseball.
Players who are waiting for an extension may establish deadlines, such as the conclusion of spring training, before deciding to cease the conversation and concentrate on the season. Would Schwarbwer engage in year-round negotiations?
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“I’m clueless. “This has never appeared before,” he said. “I suppose I’m constantly listening. But it’s clear that I’m focused on our goal. This is it if that’s the case. Just like you do each year, you will give the squad your all.”
Schwarber may have a different season. With the Phillies trying to get Realmuto and Harper days as the designated hitter, he will probably see a little more time in left field. Additionally, even though Schwarber led off in around 85% of his plate appearances as a Phillie, he may have a different place in the lineup in 2025.
The Phillies have a 28-9 record, and he has blasted 37 leadoff home runs. However, it also means that a greater proportion of Schwarber’s home runs have only resulted in one run. He has struck 143, with 97 of those being single shots, which is around 10% more than the league average.
Trea Turner is the player who would lead off if Schwarber drops down into a position that produces more runs, according to manager Rob Thomson. Bohm, Schwarber, Turner, Harper, and Castellanos appear to be the likely 1 through 5.
“My aim will be directed wherever my name appears. “Player number 12 is me,” Schwarber declared. “I’m not a coach or a manager. I’ll play baseball wherever my name appears since I get paid to do it for these folks. All I want is to win the World Series, and I’ll go wherever we believe our greatest lineup should go in order to win baseball games consistently. I’m not very attached to the place where I hit. I simply want to attempt to win baseball games wherever I go.
This core does hold a special place in his heart. With a wealth of major-league talent, substantial financial resources, and promising prospects like Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller who should be able to contribute soon, the Phillies don’t think their window is shutting. However, this particular group will not last indefinitely. There is a tremendous sense of pressure to complete the project this year.
“The older you get, you just realize more how much, I guess, it hurts,” Schwarber remarked in reference to the close calls in the playoffs. “You have less time in the game as you become older. The fact that I am no longer 21 or 22 is a fact. You know, I’m thirty-two now? Or will I be thirty-two? Or thirty-one? I have no idea. One more orbit around the sun. Age is a numerical value. It’s your feelings.
“Getting eliminated in the playoffs is always going to hurt. Every year we have it, it hurts me. All you want, though, is to be able to truly appreciate what we have and focus on our goals. At the end of the day, we failed to meet that goal, even though we had done it every year. However, there have also been many positive outcomes from it. It’s a two-edged sword: although there is undoubtedly the area where we haven’t finished, there is also the experience side, which is what improves men.
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