At the outset of the offseason, Jon Heyman was the first MLB insider to connect the Chicago Cubs to free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber. But based on the way he laid it all out (mostly a nostalgia play, with Schwarber more likely returning to Philadelphia than anything else), we figured he’d be the last. And yet, after today, Heyman is not alone!
On his most recent episode of Fair Territory, Ken Rosenthal also mentioned the Cubs as a potential suitor for Kyle Schwarber. And although it was similarly framed (Philadelphia is the expectation), I’m modestly shocked that Rosenthal would even mention them. On its own, maybe that wouldn’t warrant a dedicated article, but with some peripheral rumors popping up on Kyle Schwarber alternatives for the Phillies, it felt worth bringing up. So let’s discuss, starting with Ken Rosenthal.
Kyle Schwarber as a Cubs Target?
Here’s what Rosenthal had to say:
“Now, you might say ‘Who is going to sign him besides the Phillies?’ I’m not sure exactly which team might be interested. You can look at the Mets if they lose Alonso, the Red Sox, perhaps … the Cubs the Rangers, the Reds. All of these teams would seemingly have an interest. But my goodness, 56 Home runs last year, 132 RBI, .928 OPS, second in the NL MVP. I trust that there are teams besides the Philadelphia Phillies that want to sign Kyle Schwarber. And that is a reason why the Phillies can’t get this done necessarily right away. He’s going to want to see what’s out there.”
Is that thin? Yes. Very. But it’s Ken Rosenthal, who is as tapped in on this stuff as any reporter out there. AND, more importantly, has been one of the toughest critics nationally on the lack of spending from Cubs ownership. In other words, he didn’t mention the Cubs by mistake. He knows what they spend, and he knows what’s going on behind the scenes as well as anyone.
That said, I remain wholly skeptical that the Cubs would be the team to pay the most for Kyle Schwarber (or any full-time DH, but especially an expensive, left-handed DH) this offseason for about a dozen reasons (all of which Brett got into before). But who knows. Maybe they have big plans to use Owen Caissie and/or Moises Ballesteros in a trade for a starter, relieving some of the congestion in the corner outfield/DH/left-handed slugger department? Again, I wouldn’t count on that, but there’s your answer to How would this even work?
Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesOf course, all of this could be moot if the Phillies just do what it takes to get him back. And they still might. But they do have another option at DH, and if they go that route, maybe Schwarber suddenly becomes more available/attainable than we were thinking.
In a report out of Japan, the Philadelphia Phillies are connected strongly to free agent slugger and potential DH Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami, who officially submitted his posting application on the 8th, has already been approached by several teams. One team that is particularly keen on him is the Phillies, who have won the National League East Division for two consecutive years and advanced to the postseason for four consecutive years. DH Schwarber is certain to decline the qualifying offer, leaving the position vacant if he transfers to another team. Murakami would be the perfect piece, especially considering the plan to use first baseman Harper as a DH. Following the GM meeting, General Manager Dombroski revealed the situation after completing a detailed investigation, saying, “I haven’t been to Japan this year, but I’ve sent quite a few staff and scouts.”
Could that report be leverage for Murakami? Sure. It’s not difficult to see how rumors of the Phillies’ interest would benefit his market (the more competition, the better). But it’s not like it makes no sense, either. For however serious his strikeout issues may be, Murakami is a big-time slugger. If he performs at the MLB level the way teams hope, he could be seen as a younger version of the Kyle Schwarber profile. That’s why his projected contract is in the $150-$200M range.
So who knows. Maybe the Phillies are more ready to move on from Kyle Schwarber, with Murakami as their preferred target, and that would open up the field quite a bit. I still think we’d need to see Murakami sign in Philadelphia before we even BEGIN to believe in this sort of rumor, but that would be the path. And, hey, because he was posted in early November, Murakami has to sign with a new team by December 22. So we might not have to wait that long.
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