Aaron Judge running the bases
Could the New York Yankees make a run at Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Kyle Schwarber?
The Yankees have failed to maximize Aaron Judge’s historic prime years by not surrounding him with elite hitters. New York missed out on the Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sweepstakes in 2019 and failed to retain Juan Soto after his lone season in the Bronx.
There has not been a total lack of effort, with veteran additions such as Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and previously Anthony Rizzo. The Yankees are also confident in their farm system and development, which has seen guys like Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Jasson Dominguez earn everyday roles.
Another Power Bat in the Bronx?
With Schwarber nearing free agency, the front office likely sees his skill set as a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium. Here is what Peter Chawaga of Sporting News had to say on Schwarber’s potential future with the New York Yankees:
“Since joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022, Schwarber has been one of the most productive hitters in baseball,” Chawaga wrote. “And after initial extension talks seemed to lead nowhere, he could be set for free agency at the end of the 2025 campaign.
“The situation drove former Philadelphia Phillies executive Ruben Amaro Jr. to speculate that Schwarber might end up with the Yankees.
“‘How many home runs in New York is he going to hit? In Yankee Stadium, right field?’ Amaro asked during a recent episode of “The Phillies Show.” ‘I’m just looking at the reality… It would be great to have him in Philadelphia for a long time, but, hey man, there’s a lot of different factors when guys are making these decisions.’”
Yankees Face Hurdles for Kyle Schwarber
Chawaga continued, noting the hurdles that the New York Yankees face should they pursue the veteran slugger:
“Two of the most significant factors will surely be the total dollar amount and total length of the contract Schwarber can secure, and that might all fall in the Yankees’ favor. The latest update on Schwarber’s potential contract value saw ESPN’s Jeff Passan report that he’d easily earn $25 million per season over four years.
“With that $100 million update, it seems the Yankees could opt to pair Judge with Schwarber for 2026 and beyond while the Phillies regroup around the veteran sluggers who are already locked onto the books for several more seasons to come.”
Schwarber, a powerful, pull-heavy lefty, has been among the elite sluggers in the majors since his 2015 debut campaign. For his 11-year career, he has 162-game averages of 41 home runs, 95 RBIs, an .839 OPS, and a 125 OPS+.
Sure, his .231 career batting average and high strikeout rates (200, 215, 197 over the last three seasons) could play too much into the Yankees’ home run-centric hitting approach.
However, should Philadelphia fail to re-sign their star hitter, New York should be one of the first callers. Having turned 32 years old this March, Schwarber is due for one last major contract, and the Yankees would be wise to pay the price.
Schwarber has become a primary designated hitter over the last couple of seasons, and his best defensive days are behind him. This would create a logjam with Giancarlo Stanton, and Schwarber’s tantalizing talents may be superfluous.
New York always draws interest when a player of his caliber hits the open market.
