The Phillies have made re-signing Kyle Schwarber their No. 1 offseason priority. They want him to remain in Philadelphia, and he wants the same. When all is said and done, the feeling is that last season's National League home run leader will continue launching dingers at Citizens Bank Park in 2026 and beyond.
But ... what if he doesn't come back? It's a question that neither the team nor its fans want to ponder, but given how many teams are reportedly interested in Schwarber, the Phillies must have a contingency plan in place.
Here are three ways the Phils could pivot if they are unable to bring back their fan-favorite slugger.
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1. Go after Tucker or Bellinger
If the Phillies watch this offseason's No. 3 free agent walk away, they could go after the No. 1 in Kyle Tucker or the No. 5 in Cody Bellinger. Each could replace Schwarber's left-handed power in the lineup -- although not quite at the same elite level, obviously -- and fill a spot in Philadelphia's outfield, which needs multiple reinforcements since Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are free agents, and Nick Castellanos will probably not be on the club by the start of Spring Training.
The Phillies are reportedly interested in Bellinger, and for good reason. He's coming off a stellar year with the Yankees, highlighted by 29 homers and a 125 wRC+ over 152 games, and he can provide serviceable-to-plus defense at all three outfield positions as well as first base.
2. Explore the outfield trade market
If the Phillies come up empty in replacing Schwarber and addressing their outfield via free agency, there are a few names they could discuss in trades. One that stands out is Boston's Jarren Duran, who is under club control for three more seasons and has been an oft-mentioned name in trade rumors for the past year or so as the Red Sox have a glut of quality outfielders. The 29-year-old Duran was one of the Majors' best all-around players in 2024, tallying 83 extra-base hits, 34 stolen bases, 6.8 FanGraphs WAR and 10 outs above average as a primary center fielder.
His numbers dipped in 2025 while he spent most of his time in left field, but Duran still produced 3.9 fWAR, ranking him 13th among qualified primary outfielders. It's unknown if any deal for him would have to include Philadelphia's top prospect, right-hander Andrew Painter, who is still MLB's No. 16 overall prospect despite missing 2023 and '24 due to an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery and after registering a 5.40 ERA across 22 starts at Triple-A in '25.
If the Phillies want someone with more raw pop, they could try to pry away either the Twins' Byron Buxton or White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. But it doesn't look like Buxton will be leaving Minnesota this offseason, and Robert, after hitting 38 homers in 2023, has produced a total of 28 homers and a .372 slugging percentage over the past two seasons while also being hampered by injuries.
3. Replace a top slugger with a top slugger -- and irk a division rival
How about this: The Phillies sign Pete Alonso.
You want someone to replace Schwarber's prodigious power? Check. You want someone who can take over at DH? Check. You want to ostensibly weaken -- and probably annoy -- an NL East rival? Check.
While this would still leave the club with a lot of work to do in the outfield, Alonso's presence could also allow the Phillies to mix and match him and Bryce Harper at first base, allowing both players to stay fresh. It's an acquisition that, if Schwarber doesn't return to the Phils, could make sense. It would undoubtedly generate a lot of headlines.