Opponents already had to account for one slugging lefty in the middle of the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup in Bryce Harper, the reigning National League MVP.
Make that two.
Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies agreed to a four-year deal worth $79 million on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
NBC Sports Philadelphia first reported the news and The Athletic said the contract has an average annual value of just under $20 million per year.
The longtime Chicago Cubs outfielder debuted in 2015 and missed almost the entire next season with a torn ACL, but returned for the Cubs’ curse-breaking World Series run. Between 2017-19, he hit 30, 26 and 38 homers, respectively.
Now that the designated hitter has been extended to the National League under the newly ratified collective bargaining agreement, Phillies manager Joe Girardi can pencil Schwarber’s name into the order without fretting about any defensive liabilities.
“I know the fans want us to be a winning team and this organization wants us to be a winning team,” Harper said Wednesday. “Being able to add somebody like that is going to help us that much more.”
Last season resulted in the first career All-Star selection for Schwarber. After the Cubs non-tendered him during the 2020-21 offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. His power stroke was on display through 72 games in Washington, clubbing 25 homers.
A hamstring injury cost him six weeks, and during that time he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Upon his return, Schwarber batted .291 and posted a .957 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He finished with 32 home runs and 71 RBI in 113 regular-season games.
Schwarber hit three home runs – one a patented moonshot off the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole in the American League Wild Card Game – in the postseason during Boston’s run to the ALCS against the Houston Astros.
