Jul 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) is taken out for a pinch runner and heads to the dugout in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park. (Credit: Grace Del Pizzo-On Pattison)
In a deep dive on what's been a wild offseason for the Mets, Joel Sherman of The New York Post had an interesting note on the team's interest in Kyle Schwarber, who ultimately returned to the Phillies on a five-year/$150 million contract.
Here's what Sherman had to say:
"The Mets were willing to have Schwarber occupy the DH spot for the next four years because of his offense, clubhouse leadership and belief Soto could mainly play right field for at least that period. They were much deeper in on him than previously publicly known. But the Phillies went to five years at $150 million, and the Mets perceived they would have to beat that by a good deal to get him to leave Philadelphia, which he didn’t."
Back on Dec. 8, OnPattison did run an article during the MLB Winter Meetings entitled "What to make of the Mets continuing to be connected to Kyle Schwarber." So it's not as though there wasn't an indication during Schwarber's free agency that the Mets were at least interested. Still, nearly two months later, it's particularly interesting to look back on.
While New York president of baseball operation David Stearns had already traded Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien and signed Devin Williams at that time, it wasn't clear just how drastically he was going to remake the roster for the Mets at that point. He may not have even known the extent to which things were about to change.
Within the next 48 hours, Edwin Díaz surprisingly bolted for a three-year/$69 million deal with the Los Angeles, while Pete Alonso left to sign a five-year/$155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, the team that apparently had pushed the Phillies most for Schwarber before his re-signing. Among the other moves that the Mets have since made: long-time super-utility man Jeff McNeil was traded to the Athletics; Jorge Polanco was signed to a two-year/$40 million deal; Luke Weaver inked a two-time/$22 million contract; Bo Bichette signed a three-year/$126 million pact with multiple opt-out clauses and ace Freddy Peralta was acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Where the Phillies — mostly accurately — have been accused by their fanbase of running things back, the Mets have done the opposite. Of course, the Mets had more of a reason to shake things up this offseason than the Phillies. Yes, the Phillies had another disappointing postseason exit, but they won 96 games and their second consecutive NL East title in 2025. The Mets went 28-37 after the All-Star Break and missed the playoffs altogether.
Perhaps the most interesting angle of the Mets apparently real interest in Schwarber is the contrast to their seeming indifference to retaining Alonso the past two offseasons. Alonso is two years younger, the franchise's all-time leader in home runs and drove in 126 runs while posting an .871 OPS in 2025. We can debate whether Schwarber or Alonso was a better free agent, but for the Mets to have been interested in Schwarber but lukewarm on their own guy suggests they felt their was a drastic need for a clubhouse makeover. Schwarber has a reputation as one of the best leaders in baseball. For all Alonso does well as a similarly successful slugger to Schwarber, the Mets apparently didn't view him as fitting that role.
Ultimately, the Mets certainly would have needed to add a fifth year to land Schwarber, and they seem to realize that likely wouldn't have even been enough. Let's say the Mets would have offered Schwarber five years and $175 million. Are we to believe he wouldn't have then taken that offer to the Phillies with the chance to match, and that Dave Dombrowski and company wouldn't have matched it?
Nonetheless, as Schwarber spends another half decade with the Phillies, it will be interesting to think about the chain reaction if the division-rival Mets had been able to lure him away in free agency.
