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Phillies' Bryce Harper Breaks Silence on Looming Kyle Scwharber Free Agency

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Sullivan | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 6:44 PM ET

No storyline for the Philadelphia Phillies is more important than what happens to Kyle Schwarber in the offseason. The Phillies slugger is set to hit free agency and could depart in a disastrous scenario.

For fellow Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, a potential departure of Schwarber doesn't seem realistic. In a piece from Paul Casella of MLB.com, Harper shared his stance on Schwarber's looming free agency.

"It can't see him in any other uniform," Harper said. "And I think he deserves to be here."

Harper's stance is clear: he doesn't think the Phillies and Schwarber should part ways in the offseason. It goes beyond just a simple wish to keep him; it's an ardent belief that losing him would be bad for the team.

Based on Schwarber's play since coming to the Phillies, it's no surprise Harper feels this way. Since joining the team in 2022, Schwarber has been one of the best sluggers in baseball.

Only two players in baseball have more home runs than Schwarber since 2022: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, two of the best hitters of this generation. He's hit 163 since joining the Phillies, including an NL-leading 46 in 2022.

He's a two-time All-Star in Philadelphia and is having his best season in a Phillies uniform in 2025. Through 98 games, he has 32 home runs, 74 RBIs, a .944 OPS, and was the All-Star Game MVP for his swing-off heroics.

Harper, like most Phillies fans, can't see how Schwarber can be allowed to leave in free agency. If he departed, it'd be a massive failure on the organization and a huge letdown for the team in the middle of a championship window.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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