Pirates reportedly provide Kyle Schwarber 4-year $100M+ deal, per insider

Kyle Schwarber is one of the top free agents this winter. The left fielder has been linked with several teams, the most shocking of which are the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal on Sunday, the Pirates have offered a 4-year contract to Schwarber, worth over $100M. The news has undoubtedly created social media buzz, with the Pirates only having signed Bryan Reynolds to an 8-year $106.75M contract extension.

However, despite the buzz, the Philadelphia Phillies remain the favorites to sign Kyle Schwarber, per Rosenthal, with the New York Mets seen as a “wild-card” team in the race. Another team with a high chance of landing the 32-year-old is the Cincinnati Reds, with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Orioles testing the waters.

Schwarber is expected to make a decision within two weeks, with the Winter Meetings on its way. Coming off a huge year with the Phillies, the designated hitter recorded a career-high 56 home runs, .928 OPS, with a batting average of .240.

Phillies and Kyle Schwarber yet to find common ground in contract talks

Several executives have listed the Philadelphia Phillies as the most obvious choice for Kyle Schwarber; however, both sides have yet to reach an agreement. Tim Britton of The Athletic projects Schwarber to get a five-year, $145 million contract.

In his four seasons with the team, he recorded 187 home runs, .856 OPS, and finished second in NL MVP behind the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani.

Aside from the Pirates, the Phillies will be battling some of the top bidders in MLB, including the Mets, Orioles, and Red Sox. However, if the Mets bring back Pete Alonso, they might move on from Schwarber.

Some of the other players the Pirates may look into if they miss out on Schwarber are Ryan O’Hearn and Kazuma Okamoto. The San Francisco Giants are also looking interested in making a bid, as per insider Jon Morosi.

Aside from Schwarber, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are other big outfield bats available on the free-agent market this offseason.