The Philadelphia Phillies want Kyle Schwarber to become more versatile and he has been happy to oblige. After spending last year as the Phillies’ designated hitter, the 31-year-old played first base for the first time since 2021 on Thursday in an effort to add depth to Philadelphia’s infield.
Schwarber said all the right things about playing first base after the 7-7 tie with the Yankees, but it’s still an interesting move. A former All-Star, his spot in the lineup is secure even if he refused to move out of the designated hitter role. But there’s an underlying incentive for Schwarber and it could be a benefit to him in the near future.
Kyle Schwarber’s Versatility Could Help Him Get A New Contract From the Phillies
The notes came at the end of Matt Gelb’s article at The Athletic on Friday. While the article focused on Schwarber’s willingness to become “the most versatile DH,” Gelb also noted that the move could help him get a new contract from the Phillies as he approaches the final year of his deal.
“Before anyone laughs, Schwarber is relatively serious about this,” Gelb wrote. “He has the team in mind but adding first base is not the worst idea going into a contract year. The Phillies and Schwarber’s camp have engaged in broad contract extension talks this spring, according to most major-league sources, but nothing is perceived as imminent.”
It appears that both sides would like to get a deal done but Schwarber could have an extra edge if he plays in the field more this season.
Schwarber signed a four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies before the 2022 season. The contract was partially inflated because he was considered as an outfielder at the time and he went on to play a combined 242 games in the field over his first two seasons in Philadelphia before playing just five games in left field last season.
The move was made for a few reasons. The Phillies wanted to upgrade their outfield defense as Schwarber logged a minus-35 rating in defensive runs saved and the switch allowed Rob Thomson to get Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos into the lineup. But it also could have an adverse effect on Schwarber’s wallet.
Designated hitters did not have a robust market in free agency last year. Joc Pederson was the only DH to secure a multi-year deal – a two-year, $37 million contract from the Texas Rangers) but the rest of the crop only managed one-year contracts led by Gary Sànchez, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Even then, Pederson had better stats (.275/.393/.515, 23 HR, 64 RBI) than Schwarber (.248/.366/.485, 38 HR, 104 RBI) had last season and Sanchez played 32 games in the field for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Teams also prefer to have rotating designated hitters as a way to give position players a half-day off, which limits the market players who occupy the role on a full-time basis. This is happening in Schwarber’s own clubhouse where the Phillies would like Bryce Harper to split time between first base and the DH role, perhaps opening more time for Schwarber to play in the infield.
It creates plenty of incentive for Schwarber to play a little bit in the field this year. While it helps the Phillies, it also helps him in his pursuit of a new contract which could help him get a little more money – whether it’s from his current employer or a different one – heading into next season.