Report: Red Sox interested in Cubs' Schwarber
The Boston Red Sox may be looking to counter the New York Yankees' power move with one of their own.
After the Yankees agreed to a trade with the Miami Marlins for National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton on Saturday, the Boston Red Sox are showing interest in fellow slugger Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs, ESPN's Scott Lauber reports, citing a source.
However, the Cubs are unlikely to deal Schwarber, who remains a favorite of club president Theo Epstein, Lauber adds.
The Red Sox finished 27th in baseball in home runs one season after David Ortiz retired. The 24-year-old Schwarber hit 30 home runs in 129 games this year, but only amassed a .211/.315/.467 slash line with 150 strikeouts in 486 plate appearances.
Although it would likely take highly regarded prospects to acquire him (and Lauber notes that there aren't many left in Boston's system), Schwarber's under team control until 2022 and isn't arbitration eligible until 2019, so he's otherwise much cheaper than top-tier free agents Eric Hosmer or J.D. Martinez.
Across three seasons in the bigs, Schwarber owns a .222/.329/.471 hitting line with 46 home runs and 102 RBIs.