The news that the Pittsburgh Pirates made a four-year contract offer worth more than $100 million to coveted free agent Kyle Schwarber caused a stir in the baseball world. However, Philadelphia Phillies reporter Jim Salisbury predicts that the player will not join the National League Central Division and his main reason underscores a key concern that could even affect the future of pitcher Paul Skenes: not being title contenders.
Kyle Schwarber’s ambition does not match that of the Pirates
According to Salisbury, Schwarber, who in his last season with the Phillies reached career highs in home runs (56) and RBIs (132) and finished second in the National League MVP voting, is focused on winning, something the Pirates cannot guarantee him.
“You know, Kyle Schwarber wants to win, and the Pirates aren’t ready,” Salisbury said. “I don’t see that happening.”
The Phillies analyst sees the Pirates’ offer, which was revealed by Ken Rosenthal, more as a tactic than a serious attempt at signing.
Salisbury believes the offer is for the Pirates to show their fan base: “At least we’re trying.” He also noted that teams that receive a large amount of revenue sharing from the league are under pressure to spend that money to impact the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Paul Skenes could also walk away from the Pirates
Although Schwarber’s contract situation is up in the air, Salisbury’s prediction strikes a chord with Pittsburgh fans: the lack of competitiveness could drive away big stars and even players like Paul Skenes.
While everything indicates that Paul Skenes will stay with the Pirates, as the club’s authorities have taken him into account and have confirmed it, in the market nothing is 100% certain and therefore, the Pirates must take care of their star.
The team’s lack of ambition could make Skenes, who dreams big and wants to win big things, doubt. Despite the doubts, the player would stay with the team, but if they want him for several more years, they will have to raise their sporting expectations.
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