Pirates Emerging as Unlikely Kyle Schwarber Suitor
It’s ironic that this report came to my attention after I’d cautioned against the proliferation of fake AI content, but the source is legit. As Jeff Passan wrote, the Pirates are interested in pursuing Kyle Schwarber after missing out on Josh Naylor. Of course, their pursuit of the latter falling short of the Mariners’ $92.5 million offer could portend something similar with Schwarber.
Whether this is a real attempt to maximize their remaining window with Paul Skenes or just a way to keep him from demanding a trade to the Yankees remains to be seen, but the Bucs have signaled a willingness to spend more. They may also get aggressive by fast-tracking shortstop Konnor Griffin to the bigs after he was named the Minor League Player of the Year for 2025. Griffin, who won’t turn 20 until late April, slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 steals after Pittsburgh took him ninth overall in 2024.
Back to Schwarber, who is one of the most coveted bats on the market because he’s very good at what he does and what he’ll cost. Though he’s expected to command around $30 million AAV, being a 33-year-old one-trick pony means the deal probably won’t exceed five years. Skenes has just four years of club control remaining, so the Pirates might see if they can entice Schwarber with something a little shorter.
Their case isn’t helped by PNC Park’s MLB-worst home run park factor over the last three years, nor is the NL Central super conducive to the slugger’s profile. Cincinnati is the best ballpark for him other than Citizens Bank, which he’s called home for the last several years, and playing close to where he grew up could be appealing. But if Schwarber really wants to win, and I think he does, it’s hard to see him choosing either team.
Naylor signing early doesn’t necessarily mean Schwarber will sign soon, though the man who stole Pittsburgh’s collective soul in 2015 should come off the board before Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and even Cody Bellinger. Boy, that’s a lot of former Cubs atop the list of free-agent position players.
