ORLANDO, Fla. -- As the first full day of the Winter Meetings came and went, the baseball world was still waiting for the first major free-agent domino of the week to fall.
In the eyes of many executives, that domino is Kyle Schwarber.
The National League MVP runner-up is the best pure power bat on the market this offseason, and while a number of teams have interest in adding his bat to their lineup for 2026 and beyond, it’s beginning to feel as though Schwarber and the Phillies are headed for a reunion.
“I would be surprised if he doesn’t end up back in Philly,” one rival executive said.
The Mets, Red Sox, Reds and Pirates are among the teams believed to be most interested in Schwarber, who led the NL with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025. The consensus all winter has been that Schwarber and the Phillies would find common ground on a new deal, though the two sides have been seemingly far apart in recent weeks.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that he’s “just not sure what’s going to happen,” though he acknowledged “there’s optimism” that they can get something done.
When Schwarber eventually signs -- and some believe that could happen before the Meetings end on Wednesday afternoon -- it could spark a flurry of activity, as the clubs that don’t land him will begin to pivot elsewhere.
The Red Sox and Mets could look at Pete Alonso as a power alternative, while the Reds and Pirates will simply be able to set up their Plan B for the payroll they would have been allocating to Schwarber had he chosen them.
King of New York?
Michael King appears to be the Mets’ top rotation target, as a source confirmed that the right-hander recently held a Zoom meeting with the club.
According to sources, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is hesitant to sign a starting pitcher to a long-term deal of five or more years, which could take New York out of the mix for other top starters such as Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Tatsuya Imai.
Injuries limited King to only 15 starts in 2025, but the 30-year-old was one of the most consistent starters in the game in 2024 (2.95 ERA in 173 2/3 innings). One talent evaluator recently said that King “may be the most talented starter on the market,” but given that he doesn’t have the same track record as some of the other top free-agent starters, the belief is that King might not require a deal of at least five years to sign.
National treasures
The Nationals entered a new era this offseason following the hire of president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, who has the task of rebuilding Washington back into a contending team.
There is plenty of young talent on the club; players including James Wood, Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile, Brady House and Robert Hassell III have all graduated through the organization in recent years, while the club’s top two prospects -- 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits and newly acquired catcher Harry Ford -- should also become part of the young core for Toboni to build around.
But it’s two other players in their 20s -- left-hander MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams -- who are drawing the most interest from other clubs. Sources say both players are drawing significant trade interest, though rival executives believe Gore is far more likely to be traded this offseason.
Toboni said it would be “negligent” not to listen to offers on Gore, who is under control for two more years, and Abrams, who has three years remaining until free agency.
“We have some really good players that teams are interested in,” Toboni said. “And if they’re willing to ‘throw down,’ so to speak, it’s now just up to us, like, ‘Hey do we want to seriously entertain these offers or do we want to move forward with trying to get the best out of these players?’”
Given the price of free-agent pitching – not to mention the fact that virtually every club out there is always seeking controllable arms – Gore should be able to fetch a solid return for the Nationals. Abrams could be a trickier situation, as only a handful of teams are in the market for a shortstop, though his additional year of control means Washington could shop him at the Trade Deadline or even next offseason.