Slugger Kyle Schwarber offers skill set KC Royals need for 2021

The KC Royals need a left fielder and it just so happens that one just arrived on the market. Kyle Schwarber is someone Kansas City should target.

As we inch closer to Winter Meetings, teams have non-tendered players and now those same players are hitting free agency for anyone to scoop up and sign. One of the most interesting names to be non-tendered was Kyle Schwarber, previously of Chicago Cubs fame. The Kansas City Royals should try and sign Schwarber.

We all know Schwarber’s story. He missed the entire 2016 regular season but returned for the World Series where he hit .412 in 17 at-bats. The Cubs of course went on to win the World Series that year, their first in 108 years, but Schwarber hasn’t been as dominant in recent years so his non-tendering wasn’t shocking.

Schwarber isn’t a great defender, but the guy is as good a power hitter as anyone out there. The Royals have slowly transitioned into being more of a power team and Schwarber could help them continue that mantra. He hit 11 home runs in the shortened 2020 season and blasted 38 of them in 2019 — the last full MLB season.

Schwarber only batted .188 last season but he’s someone who gets on base (.336 on-base percentage) and that’s something the Royals could definitely use. He’s played mostly left field during his career, but he has experience throughout the outfield and as a catcher (his original position coming out of college). With Salvador Perez now at 30 years old, perhaps Schwarber could be plugged in at catcher if the Royals brought him in.

The KC Royals could use a slugger who also finds his way on base. Kyle Schwarber would provide just that.

As I mentioned above, Schwarber isn’t a great defender. He had to play the field with the Cubs because the NL doesn’t have a DH (except for in 2020) but he could potentially serve more of a DH role with the Royals. That job has belonged to Jorge Soler the past two seasons but Soler has experience playing in right field, so something could certainly be worked out there if Schwarber did come to Kansas City.

Schwarber would be an interesting addition to the Royals because of what he can do from a power standpoint. Kauffman Stadium is much larger than that of Wrigley Field, but we’ve seen this team transition into more of a power-team the past few years and Kyle Schwarber could fit that mold perfectly.

What do you think Royals fans? Would you want to see the team bring in Kyle Schwarber?