Rosenthal reported Sunday night that the traditionally light-spending Pirates have extended a four-year offer to Schwarber that “almost certainly is for more than $100 million.”
While Pittsburgh remains a “long shot” to land the star designated hitter’s services, just the fact that it extended such an offer confirms reports from early in the off-season that it is ready to spend on its roster.
The largest contract the Pirates have handed out in free agency went to Francisco Liriano in December 2014, when they inked the southpaw to a three-year, $39-million contract. The largest single commitment Pittsburgh has made to a player came in the $106.75-million extension that Bryan Reynolds signed in 2023.
But coming off a 71-win season in which their bats provided little to no support for a solid rotation — headlined by Cy Young winner Paul Skenes — the Pirates seem committed to adding some thump to their lineup.
Pittsburgh was reportedly in the mix for Canadian first baseman Josh Naylor, who ended up signing back in Seattle for $92.5 million, and now continues its search for an impact hitter with this recent offer to Schwarber.
Schwarber would represent a significant investment for a team looking to turn its offence around.
The 32-year-old posted a .928 OPS in 2025, leading the National League with 56 homers and 132 RBIs while playing in all 162 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.
A three-time all-star, Schwarber left the yard 187 times over the course of a four-year contract with the Phillies — more times than anyone not named Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani.
Schwarber is also considered an excellent locker room presence and someone who could help a young core of hitters improve.
Whether the Pirates can land their big fish remains to be seen, but being mentioned among those playing atop the free-agent market has to be a breath of fresh air for a fanbase that hasn’t seen the post-season since 2015.