The MLB offseason is upon us, and that means that some of the league's top players will be signing new deals in free agency, either re-upping with their existing team or leaving town for greener pastures.
DraftKings has odds posted for where Kyle Schwarber will land for the 2026 season, with his former team favored to retain his services.
Kyle Schwarber Next Team Odds, Predictions
Odds are via DraftKings.
Kyle Schwarber Free Agency Breakdown
Career
From being the fourth overall pick to getting non-tendered to becoming a legend in Philadelphia, Kyle Schwarber has had one of the more interesting career arcs of anyone on the free agent market. He first came up in the summer of 2015, slashing .246/.355/.487 while splitting time between catcher and left field for the Cubs. That earned him the starting left field job for 2016, which he held for all but two games before tearing his ACL in a collision with teammate Dexter Fowler. Schwarber would miraculously return in the World Series, batting .412 over 20 plate appearances.
The rest of Schwarber's Cubs tenure was complicated to say the least. He proved to be a liability in left field, but with no DH in the National League until 2020, Chicago was forced to play him out there if it wanted his bat in the lineup. He hit well, but didn't match his rookie numbers. His strikeout and walk rates remained sky-high from 2017 to 2019, and he averaged over 30 homers a season, but his lack of consistent contact and negative defensive value were causes for concern. After a horrific showing in the 2020 Covid season, the Cubs non-tendered Schwarber, allowing him to become a free agent rather than paying his arbitration salary.
It was after getting non-tendered that Schwarber really took off. He signed on with the Nationals, where he slashed .253/.340/.570 in a tenure that contained a streak of 12 homers hit in just 10 games. The lowly Nats traded him to the Red Sox for the stretch run, where he became a hero, homering off Gerrit Cole in the AL Wild Card Game to help set the tone for the Sox' run to the ALCS.
Schwarber finally got his big deal with the Phillies, signing a four-year, $79 million contract prior to the 2022 season. With the DH coming permanently to the NL, he got to split his time between left field and the designated hitter role, maximizing his value as a hitter while limiting the negative aspects of his game. In four seasons in Philly, Schwarber slashed .226/.349/.507 with 187 home runs, good for a 133 wRC+ and 11.3 fWAR.
2025 Season
At age 32, Schwarber is coming off the best season of his career. He appeared in all 162 games, smacking an NL-leading 56 home runs, slashing .240/.365/.563, and setting career highs in wRC+ and fWAR at 152 and 4.9, respectively. Being able to provide nearly five wins worth of value as a full-time DH is no easy feat, especially considering how little Schwarber contact makes compared to the Shohei Ohtanis and Yordan Alvarezes of the world.
Schwarber's strikeout "issue" has never really gone away, but it's promising that he managed a 27.2% strikeout rate that stands as the second-lowest mark of his career. That is, for an aging left-handed power hitter, he seems to be trending in a positive direction. We'll see what the market for Schwarber looks like, but any team with a versatile defensive lineup and a need for offense should be giving him and his agent a call.
Top Suitors
Philadelphia Phillies
Despite the large number of teams that could use a bat like Schwarber, the Phillies remain the favorite to land him for a second stint. Their roster is already constructed in a way that allows him to be the everyday DH, without sacrificing anyone else's playing time.
When Schwarber first signed with the Phillies four years ago, the big question was how the team was going to find playing time for three bad defensive corner outfielders with big bats and big contracts between him, Nick Castellanos, and Bryce Harper. Now, with Harper firmly entrenched at first base and Castellanos likely on his way out of town, there is no one that Schwarber could feasibly block in the DH spot, nor is there any need for him to play the field.
Schwarber's offensive production would be really hard for the Phillies to replace, and they likely won't have to give him an insane number of years based on his age and lack of defensive value. He not only became a core piece of a Phillies era that made a World Series, an NLCS, and two other playoff appearances, but also endeared himself to the Philly faithful in ways that not many players have.
San Diego Padres
If the Phillies decide to pivot to a younger player who could give them some value in the field, the Padres might jump at the chance to add another blue-chip bat to their lengthy lineup. They're in a bit of an opposite position to that of the Phillies, with three solid all-around outfielders in Ramón Laureano, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatís Jr.
That said, Fangraphs' Roster Resource currently pencils in Tirso Ornelas and Luis Campusano as the Padres' DH platoon, with the left-handed Ornelas projected for a paltry 96 wRC+ and 0.2 fWAR in 2026. For a spot on the roster that is solely dependent on offense, the Padres simply have to do better, and there's a good chance GM A.J. Preller knows that.
The Padres have not been scared off by high price tags much in the past half decade or so, but then again, Schwarber won't cost as much as other top free-agent bats due to his age and inability to play the field. For some instant offense to supplement Tatís, Machado, Merrill, and the like, call Schwarber.
Boston Red Sox
Another one of Schwarber's former teams that can and should be in the mix for his services is the Red Sox. The fit is a little less clear than that of the Phillies and Padres, but with some roster shuffling, Schwarber could bring some much-needed left-handed pop to this lineup.
When Schwarber came over to the Sox at the 2021 Trade Deadline, the team tried to teach him first base on the fly. It didn't work well; he managed to record -4 OAA in just 75 regular-season innings at the position. However, with a spring to prepare this time around, they could try again. Incumbent starter Triston Casas hasn't been able to stay healthy over the past few seasons, and he hasn't produced while on the field since early 2024. His spot on the roster is not guaranteed, and the Sox can't afford to mess around with Abraham Toro and Nathaniel Lowe in an important offensive role.
Of course, Schwarber doesn't necessarily have to play first base to be a fit on the Red Sox. The DH role is currently occupied by Masataka Yoshida, who has largely been a disappointment since his first few months in a Red Sox uniform in 2023. He's owed a hefty sum of $37.2 million over the next two seasons, but there's been constant talk of the Red Sox moving him in a salary dump. If they accomplish this, that frees up both the money and roster spot needed to bring in Schwarber.
