The Philadelphia Phillies are making their fans wait for the first big move of the offseason. With the MLB Winter Meetings now underway, we can expect something to happen soon, right? As things kicked off in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday night, we learned about some progress in the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes.
The free agent slugger is the Phillies' prized target this winter. They are the favorites and are expected to outbid everyone to re-sign him, which fans hope will happen at the Winter Meetings this week. Whether that becomes reality, we don't know at this time. What we do know is that one of his suitors, the Pittsburgh Pirates, has made an offer.
As The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Sunday evening, the information conveniently leaked out that the Pirates have made Schwarber a four-year offer (subscription required). The value isn't known, but it's probably over $100 million.
"The Pittsburgh Pirates have made free-agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber a four-year offer, according to people briefed on their discussions. The offer almost certainly is for more than $100 million," according to Rosenthal.
Pirates' four-year, $100 million offer to Kyle Schwarber feels like Phillies bait
Clearly, we're at the stage of negotiations that someone is trying to apply some pressure to the Phillies to get talks moving along. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, dialogue between the Phillies and Schwarber has been slow.
But a four-year deal? To go to the Pirates? That's not going to worry the Phillies, nor should it. Anyone who's been paying attention knows that offer won't be enough.
Whenever and wherever Schwarber signs, he's expected to get at least $30 million per season when all is said and done. While the annual value of Pittsburgh's offer might have been in the right ballpark, those four years that are now sitting out there just begging the Phillies to add a fifth season and get a deal done.
We can't forget that the Phillies also have the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Cincinnati Reds to worry about as they zero in on a deal to keep Schwarber in Philadelphia through the end of his career.
Coming off a career year with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs, Schwarber is expected to get a five-year contract this winter, at least that's what he's reportedly asking for. With many "experts" predicting that he'll sign by the end of the Winter Meetings, it's getting down to crunch time for the Phillies to make their play.
While this leaked offer can be considered a serious offer that the Pirates might've thought would get the job done, it's also being used as a ploy by Schwarber's agents to get the ball rolling. Maybe it will push Phillies president of baseball operations Dombrowski to make something happen soon.