Free-field player Kyle Schwarber, one of the heroes of the Chicago Cubs World Series 2016 title dispute, agreed to a one-year contract with Washington Nationals, was announced on Saturday.
A source told Jeff Passan of ESPN that the deal is $ 10 million.
Schwarber was not hired on December 3, becoming a free agent after six seasons with the Cubs. The 27-year-old outfielder was in his final year of refereeing, but the Cubs let him go after he hit just 0.188 with 11 home runs in 59 games during the shortened 2020 pandemic season.
Schwarber said that a “big factor” in his arrival at Nacional was meeting with manager Davey Martinez, who coached the Cubs from 2015 to 2017.
“When I heard they were interested, it was definitely something I wanted to pursue,” said Schwarber on Saturday. “I was ready to say yes right away. I am honored to be here.
“I Love [Martinez] die. I’m so excited to play for this guy. He just wants to win. “
Schwarber fulfills two needs that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo outlined before the off-season: a corner outfielder and a power hitter to help protect NL batting champion Juan Soto in the lineup.
Unless the designated hitter rule is brought back to the National League in 2021, it seems likely that Schwarber could start in the left field, with Soto sliding from that point to the right field, where he saw a little time at the end of last season. .
“I’m ready to go in and win another World Series with these guys,” said Schwarber. “I have no hard feelings. I’m excited to make new chapters here … I never think that a change of scenery is bad. I would have loved to have stayed in Chicago, but it’s not there.”
I can’t wait to get to spring and get into the routine with the guys! Lets do this! https://t.co/L2yoPsUpqT
– Kyle Schwarber (@ kschwarb12) January 9, 2021
Schwarber hit 0.230 with 121 home runs in 551 games in the regular season with the Cubs, but will be remembered for his post-season performances, during which he compiled 0.981 OPS in 24 games.
He hit 0.412 in five games as the Cubs’ designated hitter in the 2016 World Series, which Chicago won in seven games against the Cleveland Indians. It happened after he lost everyone except two games from the 2016 regular season – and the playoff rounds that followed – because of a knee injury.
“Always goes [have] a special place in my heart, especially because of 2016 and what we did there, “said Schwarber about his time in Chicago.” And for me, personally, with the injury, to be able to go in there and help these guys.
Coach Joe Maddon made him the Cubs’ initial hitter the following year, after Dexter Fowler left via a free agency. Schwarber failed in that role, reaching 0.190 with a percentage of 0.312 at the base before spending time in the smaller categories. He recovered with 64 homers in the next two seasons, with 38 homers and 92 RBIs in 2019.
This is Rizzo’s second significant attempt to boost the Nationals roster, after making a deal to acquire first baseman Josh Bell, an Pittsburgh Pirates NL 2019 All-Star. Like Schwarber, Bell, 28, had a career year in 2019 – 37 homers, 116 RBIs, 0.936 OPS – and dropped in 2020. Bell had a batting average of 0.226 and 0.669 OPS last season.
Schwarber was the fourth overall choice in the 2014 draft.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.