PHILADELPHIA – As the clock struck 4 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the East, the familiar scene at Citizens Bank Park changed: Schwarber and Suárez, two integral members of the 2025 Phillies roster, did not accept a one-year “qualifying offer” from the team. The offer – $22.025 million – was seen as a possible “trigger” for the upcoming automatic transfer period.
Schwarber, who led the National League (NL) with 56 home runs last season and 132 RBIs, and is a prime candidate for MVP, has now put his suitability on the line for a larger-term consolidation.
Meanwhile, Suárez – a left-handed pitcher with a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts in the 2025 season – declined the offer to seek a higher position on the automatic pitching field.
The rejection has a clear system: The Phillies will lose the ability to retain them through the offer, but will be given a compensatory pick (a compensatory draft pick) if they join other teams.
The Phillies clearly have no reason to doubt this decision – they have already prepared the offer and announced it publicly. But having two big stars on the market will create “big hype” in the locker room and next season’s plans. Fans are counting the days to see if the team keeps the popular Schwarber, re-signs Suárez – or will have to find an alternative.
With Schwarber, who is now 34 and increasingly secure as a designated hitter, his value lies not only in his strong flow but also in his quality production as a locker room leader. With Suárez, the MLB pitching industry is lacking in quality, making his position valuable.
The 2026 QO (qualifying offer) is set at $22.025 million a year.
Schwarber and Suárez were both rejected.
The Phillies will have to temporarily strategize: keep the player or accept losing them and get compensated with a copyright option.
This winter transfer market could turn into a “star market” – with the Phillies at the center of the story.
If Schwarber and Suárez find “huge” money on the market, the story will be a transitional war: from a main team fighting around the “top of the NL East” to a hero who builds or consolidates strongly. As for the Phillies, losing both would leave them with a big problem to solve next season: replacing players, balancing the budget, and maintaining their championship ambitions.
Philadelphia fans are commenting: will they keep the core intact, or will they see two icons leave while the team searches for “a new face”? Whatever the outcome, this winter promises to be a tense and decisive time – and the Schwarber & Suárez situation is the “first battle” of the 2025‑26 free agency storm.
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