The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the few teams over the last few seasons in the MLB to show an unwavering commitment to winning.
That philosophy continued at this year's trade deadline, acquiring electric reliever Jhoan Duran to continue to shore up the back end of the bullpen and outfielder Harrison Bader in the midst of a career year at the plate.
General manager Dave Dombrowski's aggressive "all in" approach has helped transform his clubs into perennial pennant threats, but perhaps his recent moves signaled a heightened sense of urgency.
During a recent interview on MLB Network, the 69-year-old revealed there hasn't been any progression in re-signing superstar masher Kyle Schwarber, who is in the final year of his contract.
"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."
Although in Dombrowski's more extended monologue, he expressed that Schwarber seems to enjoy being a part of the franchise, his tone suggested he understood there's a chance the three-time All-Star could be on his way out.
Schwarber has transformed himself into a dark horse MVP candidate, pairing his best on-base percentage of his decade in the bigs with a .957 OPS.
His ability to crush both lefties and righties makes him a premium at the top of any lineup, and even at 32 with no defensive impact, he would command a strong price tag on the open market.
If the Phillies want to extend this contending window, coming to a deal with Schwarber before he continues his stellar campaign has to be a priority.