Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Kyle Schwarber or Kris Bryant will sign

The MLB lockout is over which means Philadelphia Phillies rumors can begin to flood in. Any minute now. We’re waiting.

One of the first Phillies rumors worth noting in the post-lockout era came courtesy of Jon Heyman on 94 WIP with Joe Giglio probably around the time when they wrapped up verbally beating Carson Wentz into pulp. According to him, things look promising for the Phillies to add Kyle Schwarber or Kris Bryant.

Heyman has been wrong before. His daily optimism about the lockout toyed with our hearts. This time, Phillies fans are really hoping he’ll be right.

Philadelphia Phillies rumors focusing on Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant are nothing new.

These aren’t the kind of Phillies rumors that will sneak attack any fan who has been paying close attention to what this team plans to do for the 2022 season. Prior to the lockout, Schwarber’s name came up as a possibility. Bryant, of course, has been on the club’s radar as a trade candidate in the past. His childhood friendship with Bryce Harper has always made him a viable option for the Phillies to add.

Bryant fits naturally on the Phillies as their third baseman or maybe even left fielder. It really would depend on how the team views Alec Bohm. It might make more sense to use Bryant at a variety of spots regardless of how the rest of the roster looks. One idea is to move Bohm over to first base and have Rhys Hoskins take on the bulk of the DH work.

There probably wouldn’t be much movement on the current roster if Schwarber is the man from these Phillies rumors to actually sign a deal with the team. He’s a natural at the DH spot. Also capable of playing left field (although, not very well) and even some first base, adding Schwarber would probably mean focusing on some defensive additions at other positions. With Bryant, you can rely on him to play about average with the glove.

I’m not quite sure if there’s really a choice to be made between the two. Bryant is far more proven. He betters the defense, too. But the moment I select him, I am reminded of Schwarber’s left-handed swing.

Can we be greedy and ask for both?