Phillies Rumors: Kyle Schwarber Agrees to 4-Year Contract Worth Nearly $20M AAV

Veteran left fielder Kyle Schwarber reportedly agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported it's a four-year pact worth just under $20 million annually.

The news comes after Schwarber, who spent the second half of the 2021 season with the Boston Red Sox, declined his part of an $11.5 million mutual option for 2022. He joined the Red Sox in a midseason trade with the Washington Nationals. 

Schwarber previously told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he was open to returning to the Red Sox, but it's no surprise he explored the open market. 

The 29-year-old's free-agent stock was up after an impressive 2021 campaign in which he hit a career-best .266/.374/.554 with 32 home runs and 71 RBI. It was a bounce-back year after he hit .188/.308/.393 with 11 home runs and 24 RBI during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Schwarber had been linked to the Phillies since early December. 

Adding him gives Philadelphia more outfield stability. The Phillies can play Bryce Harper in right and Matt Vierling and Odubel Herrera in center. 

Also, outfielder Andrew McCutchen left the Phillies for the Milwaukee Brewers in free agency, meaning Schwarber will fill an obvious hole in the lineup.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman also noted that Schwarber is a good fit for the Phillies because of his success in NL East ballparks. He has 32 home runs in 91 games, which Heyman noted would translate to 57 homers per 162 games.