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By Peter Chawaga
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia Phillies enjoyed a win against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday thanks to some more heroics by their Most Valuable Player Award candidate Kyle Schwarber.
Schwarber hit two home runs in the game, including a grand slam, to bring his season total up to 40, the most of any player in the National League. And as Schwarber continues to carry the Phillies' offense, fans are getting anxious that he might not be a member of the team for much longer.
The slugger is making a strong case for a nine-figure contract as a free agent this winter and could receive a long-term offer from any number of teams if the Phillies don't extend him first. It isn't clear just how large of an extension offer it would take to keep Schwarber from testing free agency, but MLB Trade Rumors' Tim Dierkes was asked if a four-year, $125 million deal would be enough in a mailbag question from a reader named Fred.
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"To Fred's question, yes — four years at $31.25MM per year should definitely keep Schwarber away from free agency," Dierkes predicted.
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Schwarber doesn't play a defensive position and he will be 33 years old next season, which might hurt the potential ceiling on his next contract. But he's been better than ever at the plate this year and there's reason to believe the Phillies will find some way to offer him a blockbuster extension.
"The Phillies have a $185MM CBT payroll for next year at the moment, given Schwarber, JT Realmuto, Ranger Suarez, Jordan Romano and others coming off the books," Dierkes added. "There would be room to give Schwarber a contract with a $30MM AAV... ."
While the Phillies could theoretically make the room to give Schwarber an extension worthy of skipping his free agency, that would mean investing a lot in an aging designated hitter. It seems more likely that they will allow Schwarber to test the market and receive a chance to match his best offer in an effort to keep the cost as low as possible.
But if the team is determined to lock him up before a potential MVP Award makes that price even higher, a $125 million blockbuster deal would probably do it.
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