BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 18: Kyle Schwarber #18 of the Boston Red Sox watches his home run against the Houston Astros during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 18, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies apparently wanted to spend some money to bring in an impressive hitter and they did just that with Kyle Schwarber.
One of the biggest bats on the free agent market is headed to Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a four-year deal with slugger Kyle Schwarber.
The deal was first reported by Jim Salisbury.
It’s not an insignificant amount of money for Schwarber either. The Phillies were able to bring Schwarber in on a four-year deal worth $20 million per year, according to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark.
Philadelphia Phillies sign Kyle Schwarber to protect Bryce Harper in lineup
The 29-year-old Schwarber has plenty of experience after spending the past seven seasons playing for the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. Originally drafted by the Cubs in 2014, Schwarber made his MLB debut in 2015.
Across his seven seasons, Schwarber has shown the potential to be a solid hitter, but he’s been inconsistent at times. He has a .231 career batting average, but Schwarber has hit 153 home runs throughout his career.
Schwarber was pretty solid in 2021, recording a .266 batting average and hitting 32 home runs. There’s an argument to be made that Philadelphia might be paying Schwarber a little too much money, but if he’s able to do that for the Phillies, or produce anywhere near that, then he’s worth it.
Adding some protection in the lineup for Bryce Harper could make for a potent top of the order.