MLB Rumors: Shocking New Suitor Emerges in the Kyle Schwarber Sweepstakes

November 19, 2025 ,
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber celebrates a hit during 2025 game.

The idea of Kyle Schwarber in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform sounds like pure talk radio fantasy, but multiple insiders insist it is at least on the board. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Pittsburgh is “in on” Schwarber, grouping them with the obvious big spenders chasing one of the premier power bats in baseball. That alone is a plot twist for a franchise that has spent years hovering near the bottom of the league in payroll while its fan base begs for a real lineup around NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.

This is not just loose rumor smoke either. 

Reports say Pirates GM Ben Cherington has more financial flexibility than in past winters and ownership is willing to push new money into the 2026 payroll.

Now Schwarber sits at the top of the power bat market after a monster season with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he blasted 56 home runs with 132 RBIs and continued to draw walks at an elite rate. His defense is limited, but as Passan put it, when you hit like Schwarber, age and position matter a lot less.

Of course, interest is not the same as likelihood. Schwarber will have no shortage of suitors. The Phillies are desperate to bring him back. The Cincinnati Reds have been circling him for months. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets both make sense as big market clubs seeking a left handed middle of the order bat. 

If the Pirates want to shock the league and land Schwarber, they would almost certainly have to outbid teams that usually shop in a much pricier aisle.

Pirates Linked To Schwarber In Surprise Rumor

For a decade, the Pirates’ free agent track record has trained fans to expect bargain hunting rather than headline moves. Francisco Liriano’s three year, 39 million dollar contract from 2014 still stands as the largest free agent deal in franchise history. 

That context is what makes the Schwarber chatter so jarring. To even be mentioned alongside a projected nine figure slugger suggests a front office that knows it cannot keep wasting Skenes’ prime behind one of baseball’s weakest offenses.

Pittsburgh finished at or near the bottom of the league in slugging, OPS, and home runs in 2025. They have waves of young pitching and a promising farm, but the lineup lacks a true fear factor. 

Schwarber would instantly fix that part. Over 11 seasons he has compiled 340 homers with a career .500 slugging percentage and a reputation as a leader in October. His left handed power would play nicely at PNC Park, where the short porch in right can turn deep flies into souvenirs. 

Even as a full time designated hitter, his presence in the middle of the order would change how opponents pitch to everyone else.

At the same time, insiders have been clear that the Pirates are not suddenly turning into the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their rumored budget bump into the 30 to 40 million dollar range is meaningful but not limitless. That money has to cover rotation depth, bullpen help, and at least one big bat. 

If they allocate most of it to Schwarber, they are betting that one superstar level slugger can lift an entire offense enough to justify leaving other holes partially patched. 

It is a bold path, and one that Pirates fans are not convinced ownership will actually follow through on until they see a signature on the contract.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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