What to make of the Mets continuing to be connected to Kyle Schwarber

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Mets continue to be connected to Kyle Schwarber, and it's from credible outlets.

The latest comes from long-time Mets beatwriter Mike Puma, who wrote in The New York Post Monday that as the MLB Winter Meetings get going in earnest, "team executives have shown interest in Schwarber."

This comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Nov. 30 that the Mets were among the clubs "in the mix" for Schwarber, along with the Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds. 

So what should you make of Schwarber continuing to be linked to arguably the biggest rivals of the Phillies? Well, there are cynical reasons for this information to be put out. Even if the Mets don't end of signing Schwarber, they certainly wouldn't mind driving the price up for the Phillies, who finished 13 games ahead of them in the NL East in 2025. Schwarber's camp may not view New York as their No. 1 destination, but they know him signing with the Mets would burn for the Phillies much more than if the three-time All-Star chose to sign with, say, the Pittsburgh Pirates. So they also have reason to make it known that the Mets have checked in. 

The most likely scenario probably is that the Mets stay in on Schwarber long enough to drive the price up and then pivot to either re-signing Pete Alonso or another impact free-agent bat. 

With that said, the Mets shouldn't be dismissed as a possible landing spot. Steve Cohen has deeper pockets than any owner in the sport today, so if president of baseball operations David Stearns becomes enamored with Schwarber, the Mets definitely have the wherewithal to put together the top financial package. 

Additionally, Puma pointed out in his story that the Mets did recently trade Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in a deal that netted them Marcus Semien. That leaves them a little thin on left-handed power production outside of Juan Soto. Nimmo was also one of the clubhouse leaders for the Mets, a void Schwarber could help fill. 

If winning is Schwarber's No. 1 goal, it wouldn't be hard for him to convince himself he could win a title if he joined a lineup with Soto — whom he was previously a teammate with on the Washington Nationals — and Francisco Lindor. 

Whether the Mets end up making a full-court pursuit of Schwarber or not remains to be seen. They still need to add starting pitching, and it will likely cost a pretty penny if they do wind up bringing back closer Edwin Diáz. But where it's fair to scoff at the idea of Schwarber actually signing with reported suitors like the Pirates or Baltimore Orioles, the Mets shouldn't be entirely dismissed. 

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