Phillies extend qualifying offers to Schwarber, Suárez
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PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies on Thursday made one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offers to free agents Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez.
Neither came as a surprise.
Neither Schwarber or Suárez are expected to accept it. First, both are likely to sign lucrative, multiyear contracts in the coming weeks and months. Second, only 14 players have accepted qualifying offers since the system was implemented in 2012.
Schwarber and Suárez have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 18 to accept their offers.
If they reject them and sign with other teams, the Phillies will receive compensation picks after the fourth round of the 2026 Draft.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month that he would like to bring back Schwarber, Suárez, J.T. Realmuto and center fielder Harrison Bader, although Schwarber and Realmuto are believed to be the top priorities. Realmuto received a qualifying offer following the 2020 season, making him ineligible to receive another one.
Schwarber will have no shortage of suitors as one of baseball’s best sluggers, but the Phillies have signaled every intention of doing whatever it takes to bring him back.
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Suárez is likely to sign elsewhere because the Phillies have Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker signed for next season. They also expect top prospect Andrew Painter to contribute to the rotation.
Painter could make the Opening Day roster if Wheeler isn’t ready following thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23. Recovery is six to eight months. Dombrowski said recently on Foul Territory that “we’re hopeful it will be on the front end, which would even get him ready for Opening Day.”
This week, Bader declined his side of a $10 million mutual option for 2026, making him a free agent. No mutual option has been exercised by both parties since November 2014.
Zac Gallen, Shota Imanaga, Kyle Tucker, Gleyber Torres, Framber Valdez, Brandon Woodruff, Edwin Díaz, Trent Grisham, Dylan Cease, Michael King and Bo Bichette also received qualifying offers on Thursday, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. If the Phillies sign one of those players, they will lose their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2026 Draft, plus $1 million from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period.
If they sign more than one of those players, they also will lose their third- and sixth-highest picks.
The Phillies’ first pick is protected.