Jun 14, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) stands on the field before a first inning at-bat against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Tommy Gilligan
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Baltimore Orioles are "among many pursuing Kyle Schwarber as he’s a nice fit for their 1B/DH need."
The Orioles join the Pittsburgh Pirates — who Jeff Passan of ESPN previously reported are interested in Schwarber — as surprise teams connected to last year's NL MVP runner-up.
Baltimore seems to be casting a wide net after they followed up back-to-back postseason appearances by going 75-87, good for last place in the loaded AL East.
They've already acquired outfielder Taylor Ward — who had previously seemed like a potential target for the Phillies — from the Los Angeles Angels. On the surface, their biggest need would seem to be starting pitching, as they traded Grayson Rodriguez to land Ward, and don't have much in the way of certainty behind Trevor Rogers given Kyle Bradish's injury history. If any Phillies free agents would make sense for the O's, you would think it would be Ranger Suárez.
How Kyle Schwarber's leadoff dinger sounded on Orioles TV pic.twitter.com/fnReGRaDsd
With that said, Schwarber is the type of player who teams may view as someone who could completely change the culture of their franchise and teach them how win. He also just clubbed 56 home runs and led baseball with 132 RBIs, so adding him into a lineup with Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo, Jackson Holliday and Ward could help them to have one of baseball's elite offenses in 2026.
Will the Orioles — who definitely still need to add multiple starting pitchers, and probably some bullpen help as well — spend $125+ million on Schwarber? It would definitely be uncharacteristic for the franchise, although owner David Rubenstein, who bought the team in March of 2024, has repeatedly suggested that the Orioles will spend in a way to be competitive. Perhaps Schwarber will be where Rubenstein, who is estimated to be worth $4.3 billion by Forbes, flexes his financial muscle.
