When the Nats signed Kyle Schwarber last offseason, the expectation was that he would be a low-risk, high-reward signing that had the potential to bolster the lineup. After an abysmal shortened 2020 season in which Schwarber slashed .188/.308/.393 with a .701 OPS and a 89 wRC+, the Cubs decided to non-tender him. The Nats signed him to a 1 year, $12m contract with high hopes that he could be a solid power bat to help protect Juan Soto. Similar to Josh Bell, Schwarber got off a rough start coming off the COVID IL. Again, Schwarber was intended to be a buy-low candidate with the potential of returning to his 2019 form, in which he clubbed 38 home runs with a 119 wRC+. He returned to form and more in June, the month that made Nats fans fall in love.

In 72 games with the Nats before being traded to the Red Sox at the deadline, Schwarber slashed .253/.340/.570 with a .910 OPS and a 136 wRC+. Again, a large chunk of that damage came in the month of June, where Schwarber won NL Player of the Month following an absolutely unreal home run tear. He clubbed 16 homers in June, including 15 in 17 games and tying the modern record with 12 in 10 games. He was quite literally a walking home run. Everything close to the zone would just get absolutely punished by this man. Oppo, pulled, it didn’t matter. When Schwarber made contact with the ball, it was going out of the yard. He slashed .280/.362/.760 (yes, a .760 slugging percentage) with a 1.122 OPS and a 183 wRC+ in June. And as we know, he was doing this all out of the leadoff spot. It was a sight to see when it was happening, and Schwarber was single-handily keeping the Nats season alive.

The season as we knew it came crumbling down when Schwarber strained his hamstring on August 2nd. Other than when he turned into God in June, the Nats lineup was quite weak outside of Trea Turner, Juan Soto, and Josh Bell. It didn’t help that the starting pitching and bullpen were egregious as well, but nonetheless Schwarber’s injury played a role in the Nats demise. After being traded to Boston and eventually returning from his injury, Schwarber continued to be a productive hitter for the Red Sox. In 41 games, he slashed .291/.435/.522 with a .957 OPS and a 161 wRC+. He has been great in the postseason as well, slashing .316/.409/.632 with a 1.041 OPS and a 177 wRC+ in 5 games, including 2 home runs.

Overall, Schwarber had a very solid bounceback season. Despite only playing in 113 games due to COVID and the injury, he slashed .266/.374/.554 with a .928 OPS, 145 wRC+, and a 3.1 fWAR. Despite only getting a 1-year deal, Schwarber is undoubtedly destined for a multi-year commitment this offseason: projected to receive approximately a 3-year, $40m deal. The questions are: should the Nats be interested, would Schwarber be interested, and is it the right move?

Despite only being on the team for about 3 months, Schwarber spoke glowingly of his time in DC. He got involved with the DC community through his Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes program that works with first responders. He was very adamant about how much he felt the Nationals organization, Nats fans, and the DC community made him feel right at home. He has the close relationship with Davey and seemed to mesh very well with the team. This lead me to believe there will be interest on Schwarber’s side, and I believe the Nats will have mutual interest as well. They saw the impact Schwarber had on the team during his historic stretch and how quickly the fans fell in love with him. It would be good PR for the fanbase if they were to bring him back.

Again, I believe there is a very likely chance that the Nats and Schwarber will have mutual interest in a reunion. The question, however, is whether the Red Sox or another team will push even harder to get him. Schwarber has never been known for his defense and teams may see him fit into a DH role even though he has played both the outfield and first base with the Red Sox, however his market should be fine with the expectation that the DH will be coming to the NL next season.

Here’s my stance: I am in favor of a Schwarber reunion, but under a few conditions. If he hits right around his projected contract of 3 years $40m, I would be more than fine with that. An AAV of approximately $13.3m would be fair for Schwarber. He will have just turned 29 years old by opening day next season, so he’s young enough to fit the Nats next contention window. However, here’s the thing. If Schwarber is the Nats biggest positional player signing this offseason, I will be disappointed. As stated by the great WeAreAllShack a couple times on the podcast, Schwarber is more of a luxury rather than a building block signing. He is a power hitter with a solid bat, not someone you build your franchise around. If the Nats were to, say, sign Kris Bryant AND bring back Schwarber? I would be ecstatic about that.

It’s been stated many times, but this is one of, if not the most important offseason in Nationals history. The free agent class is absolutely stacked with positional players unlike anything we’ve seen in a while, and the Nationals have a lot of payroll to work with. It is basically imperative that they splurge on a multi-year positional player that they can add to their core and be a part of the next wave of contention. This is absolutely the first priority along with getting some pitching help, but if they were able to do this and still have space for a Schwarber reunion? I’m all for it. The Nats need to know where their focuses are, and it’s going to be interesting to watch free agency unfold.