The Pirates missed out on one of baseball’s premier bats this week. NL MVP runner-up Kyle Schwarber re-signed in Philadelphia on a five-year, $150 million contract on Tuesday.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic
reported the Pirates deal was four years for $123 million, significantly more than the three-year, $39 million free agent contract given to Francisco Liriano as the largest free agent deal in franchise history.
Could another NL East slugger be the Bucs’ next target?
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported at the MLB Winter Meetings that the Pirates are “hanging around” the market for first baseman Pete Alonso.
Alonso was a free agent last season, but returned to the New York Mets and had a terrific season. He hit .272 with 38 home runs, 126 RBIs, an .871 OPS, and played all 162 games for the second year in a row.
Alonso, 31, owns 264 career home runs and 18 more home runs than Oneil Cruz (20), who led the team in longballs.
Signing Pete Alonso would be the significant splash the Pirates have desperately needed in their lineup. Could a similar offer as the reported Schwarber contract get it done? The Pirates need to do everything possible to build around Paul Skenes, putting their money where their mouth is and signing Alonso, Eugenio Suarez, or another top free agent as the starting point would go a very long way.
