With the Winter Meetings set to begin Sunday, the Mets sit at the crux of what ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney described as the “juiciest rumor.”
They could make a push for free agent designated hitter and outfielder Kyle Schwarber, according to Olney, after he hit free agency following four seasons — with at least 38 homers in each — with the Phillies.
Olney also reported that even if the Mets don’t think they could top Philadelphia’s offer to land the 32-year-old slugger, they could at least turn it into a bidding war like the Braves did before the Phillies eventually gave starting pitcher Aaron Nola a seven-year, $172-million deal.
If the Mets were to land Schwarber, it’d boost a lineup that already includes Juan Soto (.263 average, .921 OPS) and give Carlos Mendoza’s order another threat to not only launch homers but also just get on base — with Schwarber and Soto recording 108 and a league-leading 127 walks in 2025, respectively.
Kyle Schwarber hits a double during Game 4 of the NLDS on Oct. 9. AP
The Mets might also need to replace Pete Alonso’s bat in the lineup if he departs in free agency, and they’ve already started to re-tool their lineup following a campaign where they missed the playoffs — trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien, who’s viewed as an infielder who could help their clubhouse, too.
Olney also described Schwarber as “someone who works to pull players together.”
ESPN reported last month that the Pirates have also been viewed as a potential option for Schwarber.
Schwarber, a former first-round pick by the Cubs who made his MLB debut in 2015, spent the first six years of his career in Chicago before spending part of a season with the Nationals, part of a season with the Red Sox and the last four with the Phillies.
David Stearns addresses reporters during a Sept. 29 press conference. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
While in Philadelphia, Schwarber remained a staple at or near the top of a lineup that also included Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, anchoring playoff runs and establishing the foundation for what became a productive offense.
Schwarber led the National League with 56 homers in 2025 while also driving in an MLB-high 132 runs.
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In the aftermath of the Phillies’ season-ending loss in Game 4 of the NLDS, Schwarber fielded a question about the feeling of potentially playing his final game for the franchise, and to start an emotional answer, he said, “It doesn’t feel good, you know?”
“You just make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse,” Schwarber told reporters at the time, “and you never know how it’s going to work out, right? It’s just, you just make so many personal relationships with guys, and, you know, you spend, heck, how much time with these guys, you know, throughout the course of a year? And they become family.”