Jul 25, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Daniel Robert (48) and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) and catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates after the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta
ORLANDO, Fla. — Make no mistake, the biggest reason that Kyle Schwarber is back with the Phillies is because they ultimately matched the five-year/$150 million deal that Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Baltimore Orioles also made for the three-time All-Star.
But considering that the O's made such a great offer, the hometown Cincinnati Reds were involved and a slew of other teams — such as the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants — reportedly showed interest to varying degrees, money and years alone aren't why Schwarber decided to re-sign with the Phillies.
Throughout the season, Schwarber was repeatedly made aware of how badly Phillies fans wanted him to re-sign and remain a part of both the team and community.
Perhaps the best example came on Friday, July 25 at Yankee Stadium. Schwarber clubbed two of his 56 home runs during a 12-5 win over the Yankees. The first of which also was his 1,000th career hit, and happened to be caught by a trio of Phillies fans sitting together.
Kyle Schwarber’s 1000th career hit is a home run that’s on its way to New Jersey! 💥
pic.twitter.com/NUN7pS5PEN
After the game, Schwarber met with the fans, who agreed to give him the ball back. Initially, Schwarber only brought two signed baseballs with him to trade. Once he realized there was a third member of the friend group, he asked a Phillies employee to get him another ball to sign. The friend who hadn't yet gotten the ball said he didn't need one, he just wanted Schwarber to re-sign with the Phillies. Schwarber laughed, and did eventually sign a third ball to give it to the fan.
During his Zoom press conference announcing the re-signing Wednesday, Schwarber was asked about that moment, and if interactions like that played a small role in his decision to return.
"Absolutely," Schwarber said. "I think resonating with an organization and resonating with a fanbase is a huge part of why you do it. You want people, you want young kids, you want anyone to be at a game and at the end of the day look up and be wearing your jersey. Or look at their mom and dad and say 'Hey, I wanna be like Kyle,' whatever it is. Those are things that you don't take lightly. The whole 'sign back with Philadelphia,' those are awesome moments. Those are things that you don't forget."
On 8/2, fans made a Dec. of Independence urging the Phillies to resign Kyle Schwarber.
It was signed by fans/CBP employees. They threw it in the dugout, hoping he’d see it.
17 days & 6 rainstorms later, we realized it was still there. He got goosebumps: https://t.co/olLHWV3Tu4 pic.twitter.com/JIg25WXVmT
Schwarber went on to cite another example of his appreciation of Phillies fans, pointing to the "We the people of Philadelphia didn't fight the British just to lose Schwarber" poster that was signed like a declaration of independence by Phillies fans and employees at Citizens Bank Park in August.
"I know the whole constitution thing that went around Citizens Bank Park. I have that, I got that in my possession," Schwarber revealed.
Schwarber also acknowledged that the support that the organization and city have shown for his philanthropic efforts — namely, his "Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes" charity that focuses on "supporting first responders, military personnel and their families" — helped draw him back to Philadelphia.
"I think that's another big thing that matters, because that's something that matters to me and my family," Schwarber said. "And I cannot say enough words about how the Philadelphia organization, the Phillies, our players and how everyone supports each other in those matters.
"And to be able to have that backing and the support, those are questions that you ask in free agency. It's not all just baseball. There's a lot of different things that you have to ask. Those are things that come up. Also knowing that the Middleton Family, the players, the front office, the coaches, everyone wants to support each other, is a huge factor."
Again, if the Phillies had offered Schwarber a three-year deal, he almost certainly would have signed elsewhere. But in this case, there was literally a tie to be broken, and how welcomed Schwarber and his family felt in their first four years in Philadelphia are a major reason why another five are on deck.
"Those are things that you truly do respect about a fanbase. You hope that as a player, you're gonna leave your mark on an organization and the fanbase. And I'm glad that I'm going to have five more years to continue to do that here in Philadelphia."
