The Philadelphia Phillies don't like any of their National League East rivals very much, but there's been a particularly fierce rivalry with the Atlanta Braves over the past few years.
In 2022 and 2023, the Phillies eliminated the Braves from the playoffs despite Atlanta having the better record. There's also been plenty of smack talk between the teams both on and off the field, highlighted by the infamous "Ha ha, Harper" incident between Bryce Harper and Orlando Arcia.
One of the best ways for teams to strike back at each other is by poaching some of their top talent. Both teams have some big names coming off the books this winter, so there could be some fireworks.
To add to the drama, one baseball insider believes the Braves are a threat to poach the Phillies' best hitter at the moment, and a player who has meant a lot to the clubhouse and city over the past four years.
On Wednesday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic speculated that the Braves could sign Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, because their own DH, Marcell Ozuna, is coming off the books as well.
"Schwarber is arguably the best teammate in the game, reaches base at a 39 percent clip and is always in the hunt for the home run crown. He’s a player most teams will covet if they have an opening or flexibility at the DH spot," Bowden wrote.
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"The Phillies want to retain Schwarber and are prepared to give him a long-term contract at the appropriate time. However, several other teams would love to have him, including the Braves (if they lose Marcell Ozuna in free agency)."
After signing a four-year, $79 million deal in Philadelphia, Schwarber couldn't have timed his free agency any better, because he's killing the ball these days.
Schwarber has a .257/.390/.573 slash line this season and is tied for the major league lead in home runs (17) with Shohei Ohtani. He's going to make a huge pile of money, be it from the Phillies, Braves, or someone else.
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