When it became clear the Philadelphia Phillies weren’t going to do much this offseason, the conversation shifted to potential contract extensions with two of their impending star free agents; J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber.

Both are important to this team for different reasons.

Realmuto, while he might no longer be the best catcher in baseball like he once was, is still the best option the Phillies have behind the plate for the foreseeable future with star prospect Eduardo Tait still years away from reaching the Majors.

Schwarber has been one of the most productive power-hitters in Major League Baseball since signing with Philadelphia, and he’s also an important leader in the clubhouse.

The Phillies would love to have them back, and both have expressed interest in returning next season and beyond, but like everything does, especially for a high payroll team like this, it all comes down to finances.

However, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Philadelphia and Schwarber have discussed an extension.

“The Phillies and Schwarber’s camp have engaged in broad contract extension talks this spring, according to major-league sources, but nothing is perceived as imminent,” he reported.

That’s some interesting information to drop at this time.

On March 4 last year, the Phillies signed Zack Wheeler to a contract extension, so getting something done this late in the offseason isn’t out of the question for this front office.

At 31 years old, it’ll be interesting to see what Schwarber is looking for in his next deal after being one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball the past three seasons.

The fan favorite has expressed his desire to settle in with a franchise after going from the Chicago Cubs in 2020 to the Washington Nationals in 2021 and later the Boston Red Sox that same year in a deadline deal before coming to Philadelphia in 2022.