There are three National League East fan bases who are very protective of their top home run hitters, and all three players will be free agents this winter.
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, and Atlanta Braves designated hitter will all hit the open market, assuming Alonso opts out of the second and final year of his contract.
Ozuna has been shockingly good for the Braves for the last three seasons, living up to a contract that totaled five years, $81 million after Atlanta exercised their club option for 2025. Now, they'll have to contend with 29 other teams for his services.
Is there a chance this winter could turn into a game of NL East musical chairs? One baseball insider posed that possibility on Wednesday.
In an article chronicling the top projected free agents of the upcoming offseason, Jim Bowden of The Athletic speculated that the Braves could go after Schwarber to replace Ozuna, who is two years his senior, as the designated hitter.
"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)."
The Phillies would almost certainly prioritize Schwarber over Ozuna. Would the Braves do the opposite? It's an intriguing debate, as Ozuna was the more complete hitter in 2024, but Schwarber has narrowly bested him so far in 2025.
Either way, whether the Braves went after Ozuna first or not, it would create all sorts of internal conflict for fans of both teams to see Schwarber hitting in Atlanta next spring.
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