Baseball

Rumor mill: Kyle Schwarber linked to the Yankees
Félix Forget
Rumor mill: Kyle Schwarber linked to the Yankees
Credit: Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports

Over the next few weeks, we expect to see a lot of action in the MLB. The big names on the free-agent market will be looking to sign their next contracts… and more and more, various rumors are circulating about what's in store this winter.

So let's take a look at what's circulating right now.

Kyle Schwarber linked to the Yankees

One of the names we'll be keeping a close eye on this winter is Kyle Schwarber. The slugger, who has just broken everything in Philadelphia over the past few years, will be a special case in that he is a designated hitter who will turn 33 at the start of next season.

Usually, these guys don't have a huge market… but Schwarber is a special case.

And what's interesting is that in the last few hours, Jesse Rogers(ESPN) has linked Schwarber's name to… the New York Yankees.

This would be a contingency plan for the club if Cody Bellinger has to leave.

Obviously, Schwarber would be a perfect fit in the Yankees lineup. We know the left-hander loves to shoot the ball, and with the close fence in right at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber could hit home runs a ton.

That said, Schwarber's fit is more complex to imagine defensively. He's purely a designated hitter, after all… and Giancarlo Stanton already occupies that position in the Bronx.

And that's without taking into account the fact that Aaron Judge could very well be called upon to do so in the near future.

Schwarber would bring an undeniable offensive impact, but would be quite a headache defensively. Something to keep an eye on.

Kyle Tucker should leave Chicago

Last winter, the Cubs pulled off a major coup by completing a transaction for Kyle Tucker. The outfielder was in his final year before full autonomy in 2025, so he was purely a rental player.

Unless the Cubs offered him a long-term contract… which they didn't.

And according to what's circulating at the moment, we can expect Tucker to decide to leave Chicago, while the player is looking for a contract worth over $300 million.

That's what Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN are reporting.

Not a small-market team, the Cubs have developed a habit of letting their big players go on the free-agent market rather than signing them. And the club seems to be on the way to doing the same with Tucker.

Even so, a $300 million contract for a player of this calibre is far from excessive in today's MLB.

Interestingly, the Cubs don't even seem to want to spend that kind of money on a top-notch reliever. And that's likely to make another team happy…

Dodgers want big relievers

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have invested in the bullpen. The club pulled out the checkbook for Tanner Scott, and they also got their hands on Kirby Yates.

But the champions' biggest weakness this year was in the bullpen. We saw it clearly in the playoffs: apart from Roki Sasaki (who is a starter), Dave Roberts had no real trusted reliever.

Scott wasn't even in the line-up for the World Series. That's saying a lot.

But clearly, the Dodgers are eager to try again: according to Alden Gonzalez, the club is expected to be very aggressive in getting their hands on a big reliever.

One wonders if Edwin Diaz, for example, will be in the club's sights. The reliever has decided to exercise his opt-out, so he could be an option on the table for the Dodgers.

Alternatively, the club could take a chance on Devin Williams, who finished his season well with the Yankees. Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley and Kenley Jansen (reportedly making a comeback with the Dodgers) could also be options to keep an eye on.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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