2 Phillies free agents who could end up in Queens, 2 NY Mets who may drive to Philly

The Philadelphia Phillies season came to a crashing halt the same day it did in 2024. A loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road in Game 4 of the NLDS repeated their fate from the year prior. October 9 has become a day of reckoning for the Phillies. The only difference is this time the New York Mets didn’t get involved.

While the Mets sat idle and rooted for both teams to get knocked out (the Phillies more so), the B-story for us was to ponder about the future. The Phillies were still a good team despite their fall. The same can be said about the Mets in certain areas.

Both teams now in their “what’s next?” phase of life, we can ponder about the possibility of Philies free agents coming to the Mets and ones from Queens going down to Philly. Which two makes the most sense from both sides?

Kyle Schwarber to the Mets

Kyle Schwarber to the Mets was a thought a few years ago when he was a free agent. Before signing with the Phillies, he felt like a rising slugger in the game. He turned out to surpass expectations. Smashing 187 home runs in four seasons, he bookended NL home run crowns in 2022 and again in 2025.

For the Mets, the fit is simple. Schwarber becomes the new DH. The Mets have shown themselves, under multiple regimes, to accept a limited DH-only style of player in this role. David Stearns signed J.D. Martinez and later added Jesse Winker in 2024. This past year, the plan was for Winker to share the duties with Starling Marte.

A defender who can play a handful of games in left field, the Mets wouldn’t be as hamstrung with him as they were with Martinez. The Phillies used him for 8 regular season games in left field. The Mets, in favoring defense, would try to use him less.

Although left-handed, he hit better against southpaws this past year with a .964 OPS vs. a still amazing .904 against righties. There’s little reason to believe Schwarber won’t continue to hit 40+ home runs easily. Signing him would be a direct result of moving on from the next player on the list.