The Philadelphia Phillies are running out of time to extend slugger Kyle Schwarber before he hits free agency, and owner John Middleton expressed his opinion.

Phillies owner John Middleton admires how Dick Allen, who will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on Sunday, handled the racism he faced in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton confirmed that the team is interested in signing designated hitter Kyle Schwarber to a new contract.

Kyle Schwarber kicked off the second half of the season by picking up exactly where he left off in the first half -- and in Tuesday's All-Star Game MVP-winning performance. After homering on all three swings in the Midsummer Classic swing-off,

Schwarber, 32, is eligible for free agency after the season. Although there’s mutual interest, talks didn’t progress in spring training, and the sides agreed to table things until after the season.

Making these potential promotions and positional changes isn't necessarily a permanent move. Many star pitchers have skipped back and forth between the bullpen and rotation — and the Phillies have a lot of stock in Abel, Painter or both becoming mainstays as starters in the near future.

Since Schwarber signed with the Phillies in 2022, he has hit 162 with the club — the third-most home runs in baseball behind only Aaron Judge (192) and Shohei Ohtani (164). His 12 home runs in the postseason since 2022 are tied with teammate Bryce Harper for the most in baseball.

As the second half of the season gets underway and the trade deadline approaches at the end of July, let’s take stock of the reliever market.