3 free agent bats that could be (relatively) cheap for the Colorado Rockies

Outfielder/first baseman Kyle Schwarber could be a huge help to the Colorado Rockies offense.

Kyle Schwarber, who will turn 29 in March, is someone that was on our radar for the Colorado Rockies last offseason.

At the time, we determined that Schwarber was “not a perfect fit” for the Rockies but he was a better fit for the team than some other Rockies free agents in the past (e.g. Ian Desmond and Daniel Murphy).

But since then, Schwarber has regained his prowess at the plate. In 113 games the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox in 2021, Schwarber had a WAR of 3.2, due in large part to his 148 OPS+. He hit .266/.374/.554 in the regular season with 32 home runs and 71 RBI.

The main thing against him is his defense, which is subpar, at best.

But, if the DH will be returning to the NL but for good in 2022, Schwarber would be a great DH for the Rockies. If that was the case, the Rockies could conceivably use Schwarber as the primary DH but if they wanted to give Cron, Charlie Blackmon, or another outfielder a half-day off, Schwarber could step in.

The Rockies have also been known to love to carry a third catcher on their team. In fact, 2021 was the first season in a decade where the Rockies didn’t carry a position player who was also a catcher or a primary catcher that could also play infield positions (e.g. Tony Wolters, Wilin Rosario, Matt McBride, Jordan Pacheco).

Schwarber could bring that versatility (albeit, an emergency one) to the team again while providing the team with a bat that they desperately need and a player with extensive playoff experience as well.

Currently, he has a mutual option for the 2022 season with the Boston Red Sox so if he were to become a free agent, he will cost more than Cron did (in his original deal and extension) since Schwarber made $10 million this season but if the Rockies could get him for $15 million a year or under, that’s something that the Rockies may consider.