Free-agent outfielder Kyle Schwarber is said to be asking for a three-year, $60M contract, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Marlins were exploring contracts with both Schwarber and Nick Castellanos before the lockout, ultimately coming to a four-year, $53M agreement with Avisail Garcia instead. Miami also offered Starling Marte a four-year, $60M offer before he signed with the Mets, notes Jackson.
The market for Schwarber remains robust, however, with many teams throughout the league in need of corner outfield help. The Red Sox — his most recent club — might be a less clean fit for Schwarber after re-acquiring Jackie Bradley Jr. and making the lineup that much more left-leaning, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey isn’t as sure that Schwarber’s being a left-handed hitter really represents a problem.
Beyond Schwarber and Castellanos, there remain a plethora of free agents capable of stationing in an outfield corner. Kris Bryant is the biggest name of the bunch, but his strongest suitors are likely to at least appreciate his glovework at the hot corner. World Series highlight generators Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson and Eddie Rosario remain available. Michael Conforto is the other big name still out there, but he has a qualifying offer attached, which could affect his market.
Brett Gardner, Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Brian Goodwin, Alex Dickerson and Corey Dickerson are some of the more attractive options out there with recent starting experience. In terms of specialists, Ender Inciarte, Roman Quinn, Kevin Pillar and Jake Marisnick may fit the bill. There are also a fair number of multi-positional utility men out there, such as Niko Goodrum, Josh Harrison, Marwin Gonzalez, Danny Santana and Brad Miller.
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