The Pittsburgh Pirates are not known for their spending in MLB free agency. But they have put in an offer to steal an MVP candidate from their cross-state rivals. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday that the Pirates have made a free agency offer to Kyle Schwarber as the Winter Meetings begin.
“The Pittsburgh Pirates have made free-agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber a four-year offer, according to people briefed on their discussions. The offer almost certainly is for more than $100 million,” Rosenthal reported
The insider continued, outlining the Buccos' path to signing Schwarber. “The Pirates remain a longshot to sign Schwarber, whose most likely landing spot remains his previous team, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Boston Red Sox are among the other big-market clubs with known interest in him. The Cincinnati Reds, Schwarber’s hometown team, also are making a push. Schwarber is from Middletown, Ohio, about 35 miles north of Cincinnati.”
Schwarber finished second in NL MVP voting, only behind Shohei Ohtani, after a 54-homer season. The Phillies made the playoffs, but lost to Ohtani's Dodgers in the NLDS. That has led to rumors of changes coming to Philly, which could include losing Schwarber.
The Reds are a dark horse, as they hope the hometown discount comes into play. Anyone with an open DH role should be involved in the bidding, as Schwarber is one of the best in the game. Could a four-year, $100 million deal get the job done for the Pirates?
Despite missing the playoffs last year, the Pirates have a great pitching staff to build around. To join the conversation for the NL Wild Card race, they need to improve their offense. They have only given out one $100 million contract in franchise history, an extension to outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Can Schwarber become the second? He would also be the first multi-year free agency signing for Pittsburgh since 2016.
