Phillies planning to change Kyle Schwarber’s role in coming season

The Phillies are heading into spring with a clear focus on turning a disappointing 2024 campaign into a springboard for the next season. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made that point bluntly in a Thursday press conference, saying the club is “not happy with the season we had” and that the organization “wants to win a World Series.”

As part of that reset, the club has already let go of hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson. The most visible change on the field will come with star slugger Kyle Schwarber. Dombrowski said Schwarber is open to spending more time at first base, a role he has only briefly filled in Philadelphia. The plan is to have Schwarber work at first during the early days of spring training, with an estimate of about 30 games at the position over the course of the season. The move is intended to “keep those guys fresher as they age,” according to Dombrowski, who noted that Schwarber’s offensive production last year— a .232/.354/.503 slash line with 45 home runs—was not in decline.

Schwarber’s experience at first is limited. In his time with the Cubs he was mostly in the outfield, with only a handful of first‑base appearances, and his stints with the Red Sox and Nationals saw him split between the outfield and a ten‑game stretch at first. In Philadelphia he has been the team’s designated hitter, recording only eight first‑base games, three double‑plays, and an error.

The Phillies’ front office is clear that this experiment is part of a broader strategy to refresh veteran talent and build a roster capable of competing for a championship. More updates on the team’s offseason moves are coming as spring training approaches.

Source: Phillies planning to change Kyle Schwarber’s role in coming season