Kyle Schwarber – Threeunassisted

Do These 3 Free Agents Re-sign With Their Teams?

The number three factors into many parts of my life. I have three kids. I am one of three siblings. My favorite number since childhood is three. I have three legs (OK that part isn’t true). As we trudge on during this offseason (those of us without playoff teams), there are three free agents, one for each of our respective teams, that made huge impacts in 2025. You know who they are; what I am going is predict the likelihood that they return to their clubs.

Will Cody Bellinger return? Credit: Sports Illustrated

Cody Bellinger: He enjoyed an extremely productive first and, perhaps only, season in the Bronx. Bellinger’s 29 home runs represented his highest output since 2019. He has defensive versatility, having spent time in left field, center field and first base, playing each spot flawlessly. He opted out of the final two years of his contract, a total of $52 million dollars. At 30 years old, Bellinger probably has one last chance to to score a big payday. The Yanks have been linked to Kyle Tucker for a while; he is also a free agent. There are some moving parts that could affect a reunion such as signing Tucker, where to put Jasson Dominguez and the possibility of a Trent Grisham return. If Bellinger opted out of a $25 million dollar deal for 2026, he has to believe he can get more on the open market. I am not sure New York will go much more and add a significant amount of years. 38% chance Cody Bellinger returns to the Yankees.

Pete Alonso: For a long time, I believed the Mets’ first baseman would not be back beyond this year. You know how the contract negations went last offseason. I thought the big celebration for Alonso after he broke Darryl Strawberry‘s club record for home runs was a, “thank you for all you have done for us” type moment. I interpreted that as the team not making a competitive offer to keep Alonso. However, as time has gone on, I have altered my thinking. The Mets have some significant money coming off the books over the next two years with Jeff McNeil due to be a free agent after 2026; Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are done after 2027. The three young pitchers that debuted in 2025 are club controlled for the next five to six years. After the disastrous ending to the season, I can see Steve Cohen overruling David Stearns and outbidding everyone to keep Alonso. Edwin Diaz is equally as important to resign. Cohen gets it done with his big two stars. 65% chance Pete Alonso returns to the Mets.

Kyle Schwarber: The Phillies’ designated hitter picked the perfect season to hit free agency. His 56 home runs and 132 RBI’s were tops in the National League. All he has done in his four years in Philadelphia is slug 187 homers. He turns 33 prior to the start of the 2026 season and figures to ask for at least a five year deal. Do the Phillies want to pay him upwards of $30 million per season for a guy who does not play the field? The outfield isn’t an option and Bryce Harper seems to be locked into first base. Nick Castellanos is most certainly gone; the same can probably be said for Max Kepler. Philadelphia will need to address their outfield holes. What is a higher priority, right field or DH? Will they spend enough to get quality for both? I can’t picture the organization running it back with this core after two straight divisional round exits. Then again, Schwarber has become such an integral part of the team and the city that it is hard to picture him somewhere else. 53% chance Kyle Schwarber returns to the Phillies.

Kyle Schwarber is Making His MVP Case

Kyle Schwarber is rolling into free agency the right way. The Phillies’ designated hitter has 56 home runs to lead all National League hitters. He sits two behind Ryan Howard‘s club record of 58. Schwarber’s 132 RBI’s is nine better than his closest competitor, Pete Alonso. Most importantly, his club is all but guaranteed the #2 seed and a first round bye. Put it all together and you have a man that should be looking at a nice payday this offseason, be it from the Phillies or someone else.

Kyle Schwarber is pointing to his first MVP award. Credit: 97.3 ESPN

There is one other thing you might call Kyle Schwarber: Most Valuable Player.

The odds are long that Schwarber claims the award over Shohei Ohtani. It’s very difficult to beat out the guy that pitches and hits exceptionally well. Most of Ohtani’s stats are better than Schwarber’s. However, Schwarber has been the one constant on the Phillies, whose 93 wins are second in baseball behind the Milwaukee Brewers. People can talk all they want about the Dodgers’ injuries and underachievement. The only other player who has performed consistently for Philadelphia is J.T. Realmuto. Schwarber has not missed a game this season. Isn’t the old saying, “the best ability is availability”? No one has more ability in 2025 than Kyle Schwarber. I know it’s not necessarily an apples to apples comparison but if Cal Raleigh is the favorite to win MVP in the American League and his OPS is 180 points lower than Aaron Judge‘s, why can’t Schwarber beat out Ohtani?

I’ll have no issue if Schwarber loses out to Ohtani. I would like him to win it because I truly believe he has been slightly more valuable for the Phillies. If he gets to 60 home runs, then I do believe Kyle Schwarber will be your National League Most Valuable Player.

Philadelphia Phillies Are the Bright Light in Our House

The last time I posted, I detailed our most recent trip to Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies lost that day to the Los Angeles Angels. The date was July 20. Since that Sunday, the Phillies are the team that are keeping the baseball end of the house from disintegrating. They are in first place by 3.5 games and are 10-6 since that fateful day. Caitlyn is loving it. It’s a far cry from Ryan and Matthew who are enduring the dual trainwrecks that are the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. We don’t need to detail their play over the last two months. We are living it and we hate it.

Let’s bring back some positivity.

What’s not to like about the Phillies right now? They have a legitimate MVP candidate in Kyle Schwarber, who is a free agent at the end of the season. He leads the National League in both home runs and RBI’s and is enjoying the best season of his career. He became a Phillie in 2022; since his arrival, all the team has done is win. Schwarber will get paid, whether it is Philadelphia or somewhere else. In keeping with today’s theme of brightness, let’s say he re-signs with the Phillies. The team also has a legitimate Cy Young candidate, Cristopher Sanchez (also on my fantasy team). I mean, at what point do we put Sanchez in the class of best pitchers in baseball? Teammate Zack Wheeler is the bigger name but Sanchez has had the better season. That is quite the 1-2 combination in a playoff series. The one glaring hole was in the bullpen which the team addressed by acquiring Jhoan Duran. Now, the hard work of the rotation will be picked up an by an excellent closer and his unique entrance. Old Yankee and Met Harrison Bader also arrived at the trading deadline, providing another useful bat and Gold Glove caliber defense.

Right now, the Phillies have to be considered a World Series contender. Sure, they still have flaws such as overall bullpen depth and spotty offensive games. However, name a team that looks unbeatable. There isn’t one. It’s why the Yankees and Mets still have time to break out of their respective funks. However, no team in the house looks better than the Philadelphia Phillies.