$79M Phillies star's contract extension demanded by Philadelphia faithful

It was a slugfest in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday night as Philadelphia Phillies stars Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm went deep to win the game 8-4 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Schwarber opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning as he took the National League lead with 12 home runs. Bohm went opposite field in the third inning for his first home run of the season. Finally, in the top of the eighth, Castellanos went deep for a three-run shot to cap off the slugfest.

Phillies fans were particularly impressed with Schwarber, who is in the last year of his four-year, $79 million contract. Fans demanded online that the club give Schwarber an extension deal:

"EXTENSION TIME," one fan commented.

"we need you here for life!" another wrote.

"Love it!!! Schwarbomb!!!" another added.

"Please stay here Kyle please," one fan requested.

"WE NEED YOUR EXTENSION CONTRACT NOW," one fan demanded.

Some fans were just enjoying the fact that Schwarber is here now:

"If this the last ride we appreciate it," one fan wrote.

"I like when you hit home runs," another posted.

Reactions from fans online (Source: @kschwarb12/Instagram)

Kyle Schwarber wants to stay in Philadelphia beyond 2025

Kyle Schwarber has hit 131 home runs in the last three seasons. The only two hitters topping him are Aaron Judge (157) and Shohei Ohtani (132). As such, he has built a pretty good image among Phillies faithful, which is why they want him to stay here beyond this season.

As far as Schwarber himself is concerned, he made it clear in February only that he'd like to stay with the team if the right offer comes along. However, he also said that he's currently focused on delivering results for the team.

“We’ll see,” he said via MLB.com. “I know there’s interest on our side. We’ll see what happens throughout this camp, if they approach us and we get deeper and deeper into discussion. … The best line I’ve ever heard on that is from Jon Lester -- the best way to get paid is to win -- so I’ll just focus on that. It’s what I’ve always focused on.”

However, the transaction is not straightforward and the Phillies are aware of the downside that comes with Schwarber's extension. The first thing is that he's 32 years old, which means handing out a contract for more than five years is not ideal.

The other thing is at some point, the club would like to shift Bryce Harper off first base and make him a permanent DH. If Schwarber is there, they might not be able to do so.

Considering all the above things, a long-term extension seems less likely.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Veer Badani