Could Kyle Schwarber be on the move before Friday’s trade deadline?
Audacy’s MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday that the Washington Nationals are receiving interest in the left-handed slugger despite the fact that he is currently on the injured list.
Heyman specifically noted that the Yankees have always liked Schwarber.
However, Schwarber has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since July 3. He was recently seen taking batting practice and running in the outfield over the weekend against the Orioles but there is no timetable on his return.
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Trading for someone on the IL, especially one who is a free agent at the end of the season, is certainly a risk for any team and would be surprising if one took it.
Yet, Schwarber was the hottest hitter in baseball before landing on the IL.
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From June 1 to July 2, Schwarber had a slash line of .288/.372/.70 with 16 home runs and 30 RBI over a 29-game span. It helped propel the Nationals back into the NL East race before the team dropped off again after his injury.
If a healthy Schwarber can return to that caliber of a hitter, he would surely boost any team’s playoff chances, especially the Yankees, who are nine games out of the division and 2.5 out in the wild-card race and could use a left-handed hitter.
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