Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez have declined the Philadelphia Phillies’ one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offers, choosing instead to explore free agency ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Both players are expected to receive significant attention in the free-agent market and are likely to secure multi-year contracts. By extending qualifying offers, the Phillies position themselves to receive compensation picks after the fourth round of the 2026 MLB Draft if either player signs with another team.
Despite testing free agency, both Schwarber and Suárez have shown interest in returning to Philadelphia. The Phillies also hope to retain them, though it is unclear which player is more likely to re-sign. Team president Dave Dombrowski stated in October that he wants not only Schwarber and Suárez back but also J.T. Realmuto and Harrison Bader. Among these, Schwarber and Realmuto are considered top priorities for the club. Realmuto was not eligible for a qualifying offer this year because he previously received one after the 2020 season.
Schwarber has been a key contributor since joining the Phillies four years ago on a $79 million contract. He led the National League with 56 home runs last season and finished as runner-up for NL MVP behind Shohei Ohtani. Over his time with Philadelphia, he has averaged 46 home runs and 108 RBIs per season and is regarded as a leader within the team.
Suárez has been part of the organization since signing as an amateur in 2012 and has developed into one of baseball’s leading left-handed starters over recent years.
The Phillies’ pitching staff for next season already includes Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker under contract. Top prospect Andrew Painter may also join the rotation soon, potentially by Opening Day if Wheeler’s recovery from thoracic outlet decompression surgery progresses well. Dombrowski recently commented on Foul Territory: “we’re hopeful it will be on the front end, which would even get him ready for Opening Day.”
This offseason saw 13 players across Major League Baseball receive qualifying offers; four accepted (Brandon Woodruff of the Brewers, Shota Imanaga of the Cubs, Trent Grisham of the Yankees, Gleyber Torres of the Tigers), while seven others declined (Zac Gallen, Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Edwin Díaz, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Bo Bichette) and became free agents.
If Philadelphia signs any player who rejected a qualifying offer from another team this winter—such as those listed above—they will lose their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2026 Draft along with $1 million from their international bonus pool during that signing period. Signing multiple such players would cost them additional draft picks (third- and sixth-highest). However, their first-round pick remains protected.
