Breaking: Phillies Face Steep Cost to Retain Their Own Free Agents – What’s Next?

The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t looking ahead to next offseason right now. They’re focused on spring training and getting ready for the 2025 season.

This is a talented, veteran team that has a great opportunity to reach the World Series. Most of this group played in the 2022 World Series and has been to the playoffs in the two successive seasons.

But president of basketball operations Dave Dombrowski is likely thinking ahead to next offseason. It will be up to him to determine who stays and who goes once free agency hits.

Recently, CBS Sports ranked the Top 10 potential free agents and two of them were Phillies — catcher J.T. Realmuto was ranked No. 9 and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was ranked No. 10.

Not only will both hit free agency, unless they sign contract extensions, both are on the wrong side of 30 years old. Realmuto will turn 34 next month, while Schwarber will turn 32 years old next month.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be in demand. In fact, CBS believes they’ll get plenty of attention — and they’ll fetch significant money on the open market.

When Realmuto signed his current deal with the Phillies it set a record at the position for average annual value of $23.1 million. CBS projects that he’ll get a three-year, $75 million deal that would get him to the latter stages of his career.

The backstop had a solid slash line last season, as he batted .266/.322/.429/.751 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI. His 14 home runs were his lowest since the 11 he hit in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. For his career he’s a three-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove selection.

Schwarber is an intriguing case. He’s basically a designated hitter who can play a smattering of games in the outfield. He’s also the Phillies’ leadoff hitter, which is an unusual position for a player that strikes out as often as he does.

But, his slugging has been incredible the past three seasons, as he hit an NL-high 46 home runs in 2022, 47 home runs in 2023 and 38 home runs in 2024. Last season, he slashed .248/.366/.485/.851 with 104 RBI and a league-high 106 walks.

That’s why CBS projects that Schwarber could snag a three-year deal worth $72 million, with an AAV of $24 million.

If Dombrowski wants to retain both, the going price, at least in CBS’s eyes, is nearly $50 million a year. Can the Phillies afford that? Only time will tell.