Philadelphia Phillies free agent Kyle Schwarber is the talk of the town heading into the MLB Winter Meetings, as multiple teams have expressed interest in landing the designated hitter.
Schwarber is coming off a career year that saw him ascend to the top of MVP voting and cement himself as a do-it-all hitter.
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He is in his mid-30s, but the slugger is expected to land one of the biggest deals in free agency, at least on an average annual value basis.
The incumbent Phillies are expected to be in the running, along with the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and, more surprisingly, the Cincinnati Reds.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, Schwarber and the Reds both have mutual interest, though a deal is far from done.
“It is real as far as their interests, and it is real in terms of he’s a guy from Middletown, Ohio, about a half hour north of Cincinnati, and he seems to be interested in them as well,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory.
“But can the Reds outbid the Phillies or whoever else might be on Kyle Schwarber? That kind of remains to be seen. Now, what’s the scenario for him to sign with Cincinnati? It would probably be this.
“Willing to take less money or deferrals, whatever the case might be, and willing to join a team that sees him as a guy who could help them grow, help their young players, become a great influence on them, and at the same time, want to play for Terry Francona. These are all appealing things to Schwarber, I’m sure.
“But this is also his last chance at a major payday, most likely, and he’s going to want to cash out, which of course you would understand. So I don’t see it happening, but I do believe, not believe, I know the Reds actually want to make this happen.”
The Reds are among the smaller markets in MLB and are often reluctant to spend in free agency, especially on a highly valuable player like Schwarber.
However, he would form a true dynamic duo alongside Elly De La Cruz, and the short-term nature of the deal would mean that it would not take a massive hit to the salary sheet down the line.
It is far more likely that Schwarber lands with the Cubs or back with the Phillies, but the Reds could factor into negotiations if the market does not materialize as expected.
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