Chaim Bloom approves of Kyle Schwarber signing with Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are signing Kyle Schwarber to a four-year deal, beating out several competing teams for the veteran slugger.
And in a somewhat ironic twist, the deal has the stamp of approval of the man who traded for Schwarber last summer and replaced Phillies President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, after the 2019 season.
As reported by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, Bloom said the Red Sox were also in the Schwarber race down to the wire:
"““We’re trying to stay focused on chasing down things that make sense for us.We stayed in touch with him the whole way… Just thought it was to a level that didn’t make sense… He’s a great fit for Philly.”"
Bloom is correct in his assessment that Schwarber did not fit the current Red Sox layout, but will complement the Phillies and their several roster holes. However veteran DH JD Martinez had not opted in to his final year with the Sox, this conversation might be very different.
The Red Sox exec also had sound advice for Phillies fans, who watched unhappily as other teams made blockbuster signings before the Schwarber news broke:
"“The important thing is to focus on what you’re doing – not on what everyone else is doing.”"
Schwarber is an outfielder but will likely spend the bulk of his season as the Phillies’ new DH. However, most teams do not employ one DH nowadays, so fans can expect to see Schwarber patrolling the field on occasion.
Phillies finally make big splash in free agency with slugger Kyle Schwarber
The Philadelphia Phillies are signing Kyle Schwarber to a four-year deal. The slugger hit 32 home runs in 2021 and will bring power to the lineup.