Latest on Phillies’ pursuit of Kyle Schwarber

Pitching seems to be the priority early on for many teams in the supposed “free-agent frenzy” we were all promised at the conclusion of the lockout. Many prominent bats, including Kyle Schwarber, have not signed with a team yet.

For the Phillies, Schwarber is the team’s “priority target,” according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The issue is that a half dozen teams reportedly have strong interest in signing Schwarber. Jon Heyman of MLB Network says the Blue Jays are making “a big push.”

So why is Schwarber, 29, such a hot commodity on the market? After all, he was non-tendered by the Cubs after a poor 2020 season and is a below average defender in the outfield. There’s apparently a belief among interested teams that Schwarber’s terrific 2021 season is not an anomaly.

“He’s getting intense demand,” Ken Rosenthal said on The Athletic Baseball Show on Monday,” because teams saw what he did last season and are convinced now that he’s going to be a dominant player in this league.”

Back in December, the Miami Herald reported that Schwarber’s asking price is three years, $60 million. With many teams interested, don’t be surprised if the contract he signs is worth a bit more.

In 2021, Schwarber slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 home runs and 72 RBIs with the Nationals and Red Sox. His turnaround can at least be partially contributed to his work with current Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long while the two were in D.C.

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