Bryce Harper has made it known in the past that if the team signed a first baseman, he could be willing to return to the outfield for the Philadelphia Phillies.
With Kyle Schwarber’s contract situation, it’s something that could result in the Phillies landing a star first baseman in the form of Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
Alonso, who is expected to opt out and make more than the two-year, $54 million deal he signed with the Mets during the offseason, could be a target for the Phillies.
Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation brought up how Schwarber’s contract could play a factor in some of these decisions.
While she didn’t directly link the Phillies to Alonso again, she noted that it’s a matter of supply and demand on the market.
For Schwarber, that could mean he gets a decent deal, or Alonso is the top target and steals the moment.
Regardless, the Phillies could view Alonso as a potential Schwarber replacement, at least as an offensive bet.
“It’s a matter of supply and demand. There are not a lot of truly excellent hitters available next year. Outfielder Kyle Tucker could sign for $500 million.
“Pete Alonso will likely opt out and make more than the two years, $54 million he got from the Mets last season. Schwarber’s age — he’ll be 33 in 2026 — and his lack of positional flexibility will hurt him, but he has not shown signs of slowing down. If anything, he is the best possible version of himself. He hits for power, hits lefties and gets on-base. His strikeout rate is also down from 28.5% in 2024 to 21.2% in 2025,” she wrote.
Depending on the type of contract that Alonso would sign, it might make more sense to bring back Schwarber, depending on what he gets.
However, to say that Alonso isn’t a better player at this stage of his career, especially being only 30 years old, would be unfair.
He’s swung the bat at a ridiculous level to start the year, leading the National League in hits, doubles, WAR, RBI, batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS+, among other categories.
