The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a second straight playoff disappointment and some significant change could be coming to the roster.
With long-time stars like Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez and JT Realmuto all heading to free agency, the Phillies might decide to move on from much of their existing core and bring in some new faces. But even if the Phillies opt to retain Schwarber, they could change things up significantly for next year.
“Schwarber, obviously, would spend the majority of his next term with the Phillies (however long it is) at DH,” Matt Gelb wrote for The Athletic. “But it would not be surprising to see him add first base to his repertoire.”
Gelb might feel like moving Schwarber to first base would be a relatively minor change, but it’s more of a shocker when noting that would mean a move for Bryce Harper, who has earned Gold Glove Award consideration at the position after moving there from his long-time role as an outfielder.
Replacing Harper at first base with Schwarber would allow the Phillies more flexibility with their designated hitter role, but it’s hard to imagine Schwarber serving as a strong defender in the infield. He almost never played outfield for the Phillies this past season, so taking on a completely new role seems like a bit of a stretch.
That being said, the Phillies might have little choice but to throw in some surprises next season. They will be returning with Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola and other veteran stars after another disappointing year. If they choose to bring Schwarber back with a big new contract, they could be looking to mix things up wherever they can in hopes of a different result for the team.
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