Kyle Schwarber Rumors: Blue Jays, Rockies Among Teams Linked to 2021 MLB All-Star

With the National League due to adopt the designated hitter, Kyle Schwarber may be calling the Senior Circuit home once again.

MLB.com's Thomas Harding reported the Colorado Rockies are looking at Schwarber among their free-agent targets.

However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday that the Toronto Blue Jays are also in the mix and "among the half-dozen or so clubs indicating strong interest," with the Philadelphia Phillies listed as well. Rosenthal added that Schwarber "has emerged as one of the more coveted remaining free agents."

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays are leading the pack for now:

Phillies star Bryce Harper indicated he wants his team to strengthen the lineup and cited Schwarber as an option. The reigning NL Most Valuable Player told reporters Schwarber "won in Chicago, did a great job for the Red Sox last year, and the Nationals."

While the Milwaukee Brewers don't appear to be in play, Brewers reliever Brent Suter offered his endorsement as well:

The 29-year-old was an All-Star for the first time in 2021. Between his spells with the Washington Nationals, he slugged .554 and boasted a .374 on-base percentage. His .392 wOBA was seventh among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances, per FanGraphs.

It was a far cry from how Schwarber looked during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he posted a .188/.308/.393 slash line.

There's always a level of risk in signing a player who's coming off a career year, but 2021 felt more like the long-awaited arrival of Schwarber as a dominant slugger. He finally fulfilled the promise he showed as a rookie with the Chicago Cubs in 2015.

The universal DH will also mean his days as an everyday outfielder are almost certainly over regardless of where he signs. Per Baseball Reference, he has been worth minus-4.6 WAR over his career, and now an NL no longer has to be worried about balancing his offensive value against his consistently poor defense.

If Schwarber were to land in Toronto, imagine how fearsome a lineup that includes him, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez might be.