Oakland A’s should aggressively pursue Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber was one of the more interesting players to not be tendered a contract on Wednesday. The Oakland A’s should be aggressive in their pursuit of the outfielder.

The Oakland A’s will be looking for potential bargains in the free agent market. If a player has a track record of success, but is coming off of a rough 2020 season and can be had at a reasonable salary, they are likely to be a target for the A’s consideration. Of course, they will need to fit into the budget, but for certain players, exceptions should be made.

One of those players is Kyle Schwarber. The Cubs surprisingly decided to non-tender the outfielder, although they are possibly looking to bring him back with an extension.

Schwarber had a disappointing 2020 season. He produced a meager .188/.308/.393 batting line in his 224 plate appearances, striking out 66 times. However, there were some positive signs, as he did hit 11 homers and drew 30 walks.

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

In his two prior years, Schwarber had been one of the more dangerous power hitters in the National League. He had combined for a .245/.347/.503 batting line with 64 homers and 43 doubles in his 1120 plate appearances. Schwarber also drew 148 walks with a reasonable 296 strikeouts, showing excellent plate discipline.

That type of bat would look good in the middle of the A’s lineup. Schwarber, if he is right, would be another impact bat in a lineup that needs one. His ability to get on base would also be valuable, especially as the A’s power was held somewhat in check by an ability to generate baserunners. While his defense is questionable at best, that type of bat more than makes up for those deficiencies.

Plenty of teams are likely to be interested in Schwarber now that he is a free agent. He does have one more year of team control left, so teams that feel they are close to a playoff berth will also be in pursuit. And there is the possibility that he ends up back in Chicago.

Even with that competition, the Oakland A’s should take a hard run at bringing Kyle Schwarber in. His presence in the lineup could be exactly what they need.