If Kyle Schwarber is on the move this offseason, don’t be surprised if the Cincinnati Reds are the team that goes all-in.
Former MLB general manager and current analyst Steve Phillips lit up the Hot Stove conversation this week with a bold take on Schwarber’s free agency. Appearing on MLB Network, Phillips said there’s a “good chance” Schwarber won’t be back in Philadelphia - and that the Reds, of all teams, might be the best fit to land him.
Phillips didn’t just float the idea - he made the case. The key, he said, is simple: offer Schwarber a fifth year.
While most teams are expected to cap their offers at four years, the club that steps up with that extra year could separate itself from the pack. And in Phillips’ eyes, the Reds are the team that should take the leap.
“He’s going to play at 33 next season,” Phillips said. “Nobody wants to go more than four years.
He’s going to want the fifth year, and somebody’s going to have to do it. I think this is the time and place for the Cincinnati Reds.”
Let’s break that down - because there’s a lot of logic behind it.
Cincinnati is coming off a playoff season in 2025 and sits on one of the most exciting young pitching cores in the National League. That’s not just hype - it’s a legitimate foundation.
But if there’s one glaring hole on this roster, it’s power. The Reds need a middle-of-the-order bat who can change a game with one swing.
Enter Schwarber.
The veteran slugger mashed 56 home runs last season, drove in 132 runs, and posted a .928 OPS over a full 162-game slate. That’s not just production - that’s elite, lineup-altering firepower. Even if Schwarber doesn’t replicate those exact numbers in 2026, a slightly scaled-down version still gives Cincinnati the thump it sorely needs.
And let’s not forget the presence of Elly De La Cruz, the electric young star who’s already one of the most dynamic players in the league. Pairing him with Schwarber in the heart of the order could give the Reds a fearsome offensive identity to go with their emerging arms.
“If it takes the fifth year, give it to him,” Phillips added. “You’re never going to be in a better position at this time and moment and this place to have a window to win.”
That window is open right now - and in baseball, those windows don’t stay open forever. The Reds have the pitching, they have the youth, and they have the momentum. Now they need the bat.
Of course, Cincinnati won’t be alone in the hunt. The Boston Red Sox are reportedly interested in bringing Schwarber back, and the San Francisco Giants are also in the mix. But if the Phillies don’t retain him - and that’s a real possibility - then the bidding war could come down to which team is willing to go the distance.
That means five years. Not four.
And if the Reds are serious about making a run in 2026 and beyond, this might be the move that pushes them from playoff hopeful to legitimate contender.