Perspective: Should the Washington Nationals Re-Sign Kyle Schwarber? The Answer is YES!

I have to admit that I was completely wrong. During the 2021 offseason, the Washington Nationals signed former Chicago Cub fan favorite Kyle Schwarber to a one-year deal and I was not so impressed with the signing. Actually, I think that I was disappointed that the Nationals were just acquiring a player that had some spark in his bat, but wasn't sure how much was left. Boy, was I wrong?

Yes! Hey, I can admit that I was wrong and as it turns out when the Nationals traded him to the Boston Red Sox at last year's trade deadline, I was really disappointed that he was leaving the Nationals.

Sure, Schwarber started the 2021 season off slow, but he turned it around during his crazy homerun run in June. Watching him play was so much fun both in person and also on TV and the Nationals made a serious run at the division during that month. It's interesting to note that after Schwarber got hurt during the first series in July against the visiting LA Dodgers things took a dramatic turn for the worst for the team.

Fast forward to this offseason and the Nationals are in the midst of a re-tool, and Schwarber is back on the free-agent market, the Nationals should re-sign Schwarber not just to a one-year deal but lock him up for the long term, and here's why.

He's Actually a Good Hitter: The only time Schwarber gets in trouble as a hitter is when he starts putting the ball on the ground too often. That’s what happened in the shortened 2020 season, where he ran far and away from the highest ground-ball rate (50%) of his career, which easily led to the worst offensive season (89 wRC+) of his career. Credit to him though, he made the necessary adjustments for 2021, increased his average launch angle by almost 7 full degrees from the year before, reduced his ground-ball rate from 50% to 38%, and posted a career-high 145 wRC+. The Steamer projection system isn’t ready to say 2021 is who Schwarber is at this point, but still projects him at a respectable 125 wRC+ for 2022, meaning you should be able to bat him comfortably in the middle of any order and would be great protection for Juan Soto. Schwarber is who is coming off the best offensive season of his career, where he posted a 145 wRC+, a .374 OBP, and 32 home runs while splitting the season between Washington and Boston.The batted ball profile also doesn't show any red flags as all of his expected numbers are in line with what the results were. The guy is just a really good hitter.
The Price is Right: FanGrpahs has Schwarber signing a contract somewhere near 3 or 4 years and around the $45M to $60M range and the Nationals need an additional player to play first base and depending on the status of the newest CBA, there might be a DH in the National League, so realistically, Schwarber can become an everyday hitter in the Washington lineup.
Vetern Presence in the Clubhouse: Back to the fact that the Nationals are in the midst of a re-tool, and the clubhouse will be filled with a lot of young talent, Schwarber can be that vetern presence in the clubhouse that the yonger players can rely on for advice. Additionally, with his relationship with Dave Martinez and the fact that Schwarber knows the feeling of winning, particpating in playoff baseball, his presence is just a good look, especially if Ryan Zimmerman retires and doesnt return to the team in 2022.

In conclusion, there is a reason why a lot of teams are looking to sign Schwarber for this upcoming season and the Nationals should be in the mix in signing him to a long term deal and hopefully, his former manager and his past connections to the Nationals can bring him back sporting that Curly W for this season and beyond.