It's difficult for Philadelphia sports fans to find fault with Kyle Schwarber, during an MVP-caliber season.
However, Philly sports radio is always good for a contrarian take.
Sports Radio 94 WIP host Spike Eskin is feeling disrespected by the Philadelphia Phillies slugger after a three-day homecoming coronation in Cincinnati, when the Reds pulled out all of the stops to woo Schwarber before he hits free agency.
During the three-game set, the Reds invited Schwarber to catch a pair of ceremonial first pitches. The first pitches were thrown by Schwarber's father and his youth baseball coach. Of note: Schwarber grew up about an hour from Great American Ballpark.
"Last night, what Kyle Schwarber did is a slap in the face to Phillies fans, a slap in the face to the organization, and a slap in the face to his teammates," Eskin said.
Schwarber, 32, has tallied 42 home runs and 97 RBI, which both lead the National League.
In his first three full seasons with the Phillies, Schwarber averaged 43 homers and 100 RBI per season.
The projected price tag for Schwarber’s next contract won’t come cheap for the Phillies, according to SI's Nick Ziegler.
“While Teoscar Hernandez of Los Angeles is mentioned, it seems likely that Schwarber should blow past that $66 million deal he signed," Ziegler wrote. At 32 years old, approaching $100 million for his next deal should likely be closer to the correct number.”
During a recent interview on MLB Network, Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski said there hasn't been any progression in re-signing Schwarber.
"I can't say one bad thing about Kyle Schwarber," Dombrowski said. "He's a tremendous hitter, clutch, a leader in the clubhouse—everything that you'd want. We'd love to have him back in the organization for years to come. We know it won't be easy—we'll wait and see what happens."
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