Phillies’ DH Flexibility Dependent on Free Agency

Phillies DH Flexibility Hinges on Schwarber’s Free Agency

If Schwarber Returns

The Phillies’ top priority should be re-signing Schwarber. With that being said, his staying on a five-year deal or longer locks the Phillies in at DH. Schwarber is one of the best left-handed hitters in baseball. Since joining the Phillies in 2022, he has a .226/.349/.507 line with 187 home runs and 434 RBI in 627 games. Schwarber has a 133 wRC+ in that span, along with a .251 BABIP. Aaron Judge is the sole player with more home runs than Schwarber in that span. Furthermore, Judge, Pete Alonso, and Matt Olson are the only players with more RBI than Schwarber in that stretch. Retaining Schwarber for his bat alone is essential despite it potentially hurting roster construction.

One alternative is playing him at first base, but for real this time. During this past spring training, Schwarber did play some first base. It was expected that he would play there during the regular season, but that never happened. Harper went on the injured list and had an injury scare in late May, at which point it may have been easier for him to DH than play first base. That still did not lead to Schwarber making an appearance at first base. In this scenario, Harper would DH on most if not all of the days Schwarber would be playing first base. This would be the easiest way to get Harper DH time, because playing Schwarber in the outfield would necessitate more lineup adjustments.

If Schwarber Leaves

Cody Bellinger is expected to be pursued by the Phillies, according to a report from Jeff Passan of ESPN. Bellinger notably has extensive experience at all three outfield positions and first base. This would open up the DH spot for Harper to get more mini rest days. While it seems that the Phillies would only sign Bellinger if Schwarber leaves, it would not be a bad addition. Additionally, Bellinger has at least 8 DRS or better at first base, left field, center field, and right field. Bellinger being able to move around will help create a DH rotation in this scenario. Harper would almost certainly see a fair share of time at the DH spot if Schwarber signs elsewhere.

Offensively, Bellinger, a former MVP, has respectable numbers. Since being non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2022 season, he has rebounded at the plate. In three seasons since then, Bellinger has a .281/.338/.477 line with 73 home runs and 273 RBI in 412 games. He also has a 123 wRC+ and a .292 BABIP during that stretch, along with a reliable 0.53 BB/K rate. Bellinger is also a left-handed batter. The Phillies do have a left-handed-heavy lineup, but Bellinger will likely only sign with the club if Schwarber leaves. Notably, Bellinger is entering his age-30 season, while Schwarber is entering his age-33 season, which could be a factor in a decision.