ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Phillies learned late Monday night that Kyle Schwarber agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract to stay in Philadelphia through 2030.
The designated hitter took a physical on Tuesday morning. The Phillies announced the deal on Tuesday night.
The Phils made Schwarber their No. 1 priority this offseason, understandably so. He is one of baseball’s best power hitters. He is a leader in the clubhouse. He is a force in the community.
They believe he will continue to be a feared slugger the entirety of his contract.
Here’s a look at what happened this week at the Winter Meetings, and what more needs to be done:
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1) Catcher: The Phillies have made an offer to free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski expressed “optimism” on Monday regarding their chances to re-sign Schwarber and Realmuto. It’s unclear whether the Phillies and Realmuto are close. If another team surprises the Phillies and Realmuto leaves, they will have to move quickly to find an alternative. The free-agent market is bare. The trade market for a quality catcher is expensive.
2) Outfield: The Phillies will trade or release Nick Castellanos, but a source said a resolution is not expected in the short term. So Castellanos’ situation might drag on a bit. But he won’t be back. Harrison Bader remains a free agent. It’s unclear how many years the Phillies are willing to go. If Realmuto re-signs, they might not want to extend themselves too much on Bader, if they seriously pursue him at all.
3) Bullpen: The first five spots in the Phillies’ bullpen are set with right-handers Jhoan Duran and Orion Kerkering and left-handers Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Tanner Banks. Maybe one of the lefties is traded. Regardless, they need another late-inning right-hander.
HE SAID IT
“We get the agreement done; I was able to rush to Philly yesterday and get all the physicals done. To get back here to Ohio to make sure that I’m not going to get beat up or anything if I missed my child being born. … I told Dave [Dombrowski], it’s a little reminiscent of four years ago to where we agreed to the [four-year, $79 million] deal, but she actually went into labor that night.” -- Schwarber, whose wife, Paige, is expecting their third child (and first daughter) in the coming days.
RULE 5 DRAFT
The Phillies selected Marlins right-hander Zach McCambley. He will compete for a bullpen job in the spring.
McCambley, 26, went a combined 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 47 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out 83 and walked 22 in 62 innings. Phillies pro scouting director Mike Ondo said McCambley has a heavy cutter/slider attack with a fastball that sits 94 mph but touches 96 mph.
The Phillies like McCambley because he is tough against right-handed hitters. They batted .186 with a .490 OPS against him last season.
“That was one of the big appeals for us,” Ondo said.
The Phillies lost right-hander Griff McGarry to the Nationals in the Rule 5 Draft. They considered protecting him, but they weighed the risk of losing him and staying on a 26-man roster the entire 2026 season -- McGarry has a history of command issues -- and taking up a 40-man roster spot.
In the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Phillies selected Detroit infielder Austin Murr and Giants right-hander Evan Gates.
MORE FROM THIS WEEK
• How the Phillies signed Schwarber and what comes next.
• Two reasons to be optimistic Schwarber will age well over the course of his five-year contract.
• Manager Rob Thomson signed a contract extension that will carry him through the 2027 season.
• Expect Don Mattingly to be the Phillies’ bench coach next year.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“We’re not running our club back,” Dombrowski said on Monday. “We’re talking about [prospect Justin] Crawford coming in, playing with [Otto] Kemp at this point. Max [Kepler] isn’t going to be back with us. So we’re in a position where there’s already some changes. [Prospect Aidan] Miller’s getting close to playing.
“I’m not so sure that when you win 96 games that you should really look to have to do a lot of things differently. But you’re always looking to get better. It’s very dependent upon, if you sign guys, how much money you spend, who else is available. If somebody is better than what you have, then by all means, we’re open minded to it.”