Pirates All-In On NL MVP Finalist

What the Pirates Get in Schwarber

Schwarber is one of the best home run hitters in baseball, averaging more than 25 home runs in a season in each of the past nine campaigns, with seven of those at 30 or more home runs and three of those season at 40+ home runs.

Schwarber is coming off his best season in 2025, slashing .240/.365/.563 for an OPS of .928 with a National League-leading 56 home runs, second to just Seattle Mariners catcher/designated hitter Cal Raleigh at 60 home runs.

He was an NL MVP finalist and finished second in voting, losing out to Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani.

Schwarber still led the NL with 132 RBI, earned an All-Star nod and All-MLB Second Team honors, plus became the 21st player to hit four home runs in a game in a 19-4 home win over the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 28.

Why the Pirates are Interested in Schwarber

The Pirates desperately need a home run hitter like Schwarber, after hitting an MLB-worst 117 home runs in 2025, finishing with both the worst slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), and scoring the least runs (583) and RBI (561).

Schwarber is also a left-handed batter, something the Pirates are targeting this offseason due to the favorability of lefty batters at PNC Park, both as free agents and in trades.

The Pirates don't have a designated hitter for next season, especially with the uncertainty of Andrew McCutchen's future heading into 2026.

Schwarber would fill that role and give the Pirates a massive boost in the lineup, that seriously needs his power.

The Pirates already have a strong rotation, led by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, so they're looking for top tier bats like Schwarber's to make their first postseason since 2016.

Will the Pirates Sign Schwarber?

Spotrac has his market value around four years, $100 million, or $25 million per season. Jim Bowden of The Athletic has him around the $30 millon to $40 million range and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN projects he'll sign a four-year, $128 million deal, or $32 million per season.

Free agency is not somewhere the Pirates normally spend money and even links with Schwarber are incredibly surprising to fans of the team, national media and baseball fans in general.

The Pirates record free agent signing is when they re-signed left-handed starting pitcher Francisco Liriano for three years, $39 million on Dec. 9, 2014.

Pittsburgh hasn't signed a free agent to a multi-year deal since Dec. 27, 2016 in right-handed pitcher Iván Nova for three years, $26 million and a free agent position player to a multi-year deal since outfielder John Jason for two years, $8 million on Dec. 23, 2015, almost a decade ago.

The Pirates have also ranked in the bottom five teams for Opening Day payroll for 16 of the 19 seasons that Bob Nutting has served as owner of the franchise.

Still, reports from the last month show the Pirates are interested in numerous free agents and also players via trade that are left-handed and bring power and runs to a lineup in serious need of them.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said at the general manager meetings in Las Vegas three weeks ago that they have more "flexibility" and will act more "aggressively" than in years past. 

Team president Travis Williams echoed much of what Cherington said, while also noting that they have the resources to compete for a postseason.

Signing Schwarber would mean that the Pirates would easily break their record free agent signing by a large amount and also, convince him to not go back to the Phillies, home to the Reds, or to other big market teams like the New York Mets a reunion with the Chicago Cubs.

It's definitely a long shot for the Pirates to sign him, but they are, at least reportedly, trying to do so.