The Pittsburgh Pirates are pushing hard for one of this offseason’s biggest prizes.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh has extended a four-year offer to star free-agent slugger Kyle Schwarber<\/a>, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic<\/a>. While financial details of the offer aren’t known, it’s expected that it’s worth well above $100 million, according to Rosenthal.<\/p>\n The news represents a stunning development for the notoriously tight-fisted Pirates. If they manage to land Schwarber, it would be the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history, easily surpassing Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39-million contract in 2015. Bryan Reynolds’ eight-year, $106.75-million extension is the only nine-figure deal ever handed out by the Bucs.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh, which is coming off a 91-loss season, has consistently fielded a bottom-five payroll for most of the past decade. However, general manager Ben Cherington hinted<\/a> last month that the team was ready to change that this winter. The Pirates reportedly made a push for Josh Naylor last month before he re-signed in Seattle.<\/p>\n Schwarber would be a massive coup for the Pirates, who desperately need an impact veteran bat to anchor their lineup and serve as a clubhouse leader. The 32-year-old hit free agency after a dominant 2025 with the Philadelphia Phillies that saw him hit .240\/.365\/.563 with an NL-leading 56 homers and MLB-best 132 RBIs, en route to finishing second in NL MVP voting.<\/p>\n