Blue Jays ‘Making Big Push’ for Kyle Schwarber

While there has been a lot of talk about Kyle Schwarber coming back to the National League, it appears he might be staying put in the AL East. That certainly wouldn’t be good news for Cubs fans who were hoping the arrival of the universal DH would mean that the 2016 World Series hero could return to Wrigley in 2022.

But even if the Cubs have inquired about bringing Schwarber back, they burned that bridge when they non-tendered him last year and it doesn’t appear they are currently the favorites to land him. To that end, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted Monday night that the Toronto Blue Jays are “making a big push” for the slugger.

Blue Jays are making a big push for star free agent OF/DH Kyle Schwarber, who’s very popular off an outstanding season in a market where teams suddenly need extra hitters. Many teams have been trying but Toronto is among the frontrunners.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 14, 2022

Heyman added that many teams are interested and that the Jays are “among the frontrunners,” so it’s not a done deal by any stretch. It’s worth pointing out that Toronto already has a logjam in the outfield and at DH. The Jays were one of the most powerful offenses in the American League last year thanks to Randal Grichuk, George Springer, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez all hitting at least 21 home runs in 2021. All four return this season.

Granted, it’s possible the Jays could decide they need to find the room for a lefty-batting masher who launched 32 homers and posted a career-high 145 wRC+ last year. It’s also possible the Jays were especially impressed by Schwarber last year considering what he did after being traded to the Red Sox before the deadline.

Things have been moving a bit faster in the last few days, but the biggest remaining free agents — Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Freddie Freeman, and Carlos Correa — remain unsigned.