Pirates Target Kyle Schwarber Re-Signs With Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a surprising push to sign free agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber but those efforts fell short.
As expected, Schwarber is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year-, $150 million contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Schwarber has been with the Phillies for the past four seasons.
The 32-year-old Schwarber finished second in the National League MVP vote this past season after hitting a career-high 56 home runs and leading Major League Baseball with 132 RBI.
The Pirates had reportedly made a four-year offer to Schwarber for around $120 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It’s unclear at this time whether or not the Pirates upped their offer at all, but ultimately, the extra year and familiarity with a strong Phillies team was too good to pass up.
The Pirates will now have to pivot in their search for more offense in 2026. They have been linked to numerous free agents and trade targets and are clearly willing to be much more aggressive than they’ve been in past offseasons.
Last year, the Pirates finished last in baseball in runs scored, home runs and OPS.
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