Kyle Schwarber, in the final months of his four-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, is set to be one of this offseason’s top free agents. A three-time All-Star who currently leads the National League in home runs and RBIs, Schwarber’s future remains uncertain and his hometown Cincinnati Reds could be in the mix if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia.
Schwarber, who grew up less than an hour from Cincinnati and rooted for the Reds as a child, acknowledged the idea when speaking before the Phillies’ 4–1 win over the Reds. “There’s so many different aspects that go into free agency,” he said. “You feel like you wanna just keep winning with the group here… but if you asked the childhood Kyle, yeah, why wouldn’t you want to play for your hometown team.”
He also praised the Reds’ direction, calling them young and promising, noting their recent trade deadline moves to add long-term pieces. “The future here will be bright for them… there are a lot of things looking up here in Cincinnati,” Schwarber said.
The Phillies, however, have made clear they want him back, with managing partner John Middleton voicing that intention last month. Given Schwarber’s role in leading Philadelphia to three straight postseason appearances since 2022 and their current 5.5-game NL East lead, staying put would make sense. But if a return doesn’t materialize, joining a surging Reds team could be an appealing alternative.
