Reds Linked too Schwarber, Rockies Navigate Transition, and Bo Bichette‘s Offensive Prowess – MLB Offseason Notes
The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly showing interest in free agent outfielder Kyle Schwarber, according to sources.While details of potential discussions remain undisclosed, Schwarber’s power hitting could be a meaningful addition to the Reds’ lineup.
Elsewhere in the league,the Colorado Rockies underwent a period of organizational transition following the resignation of General Manager Bill Schmidt on October 1st and the subsequent hiring of Paul DePodesta as their new head of baseball operations on November 7th. During the interim period, department heads managed the team collectively, extending invitations to all of Warren schaeffer’s coaching staff – excluding pitching coach Darryl Scott – to remain with the organization, though without guaranteeing specific roles.
“Our thought was, we’re not going to make any commitments until we get that (head) person in. And ultimately, that person has to decide how we move forward,” Rockies executive vice president Walker Monfort explained. “But what we didn’t wont to do was lose high-caliber people we think highly of.”
Ultimately, only Scott and bullpen coach Dustin Garneau (who accepted a catching coach position with the Atlanta braves) departed. The Rockies received an interview request from another club for manager Schaeffer, but he remained with the team, officially announced on November 24th. The Rockies are currently defining roles for the remaining coaches and plan to add external hires. DePodesta also intends to appoint a General Manager, ideally before the upcoming winter meetings, and bolster the team’s overall infrastructure.
“we know we need to grow our non-payroll baseball spending. Naturally, we are going to have to incrementally hire in certain areas,” Monfort stated. “But we don’t have a definitive number – oh, it’s five or oh, it’s 10. We’re kind of going through the order of operations. Next step is the general manager. From there, we continue on.”
Turning to the free agent market, shortstop Bo Bichette is drawing attention for his offensive capabilities. Last season, Bichette batted .448 with a .516 weighted on-base average (wOBA) against pitches 97 mph and faster, considerably exceeding league averages of .229 and .295.Comparatively, other free agents performed as follows against similar velocity: Kyle Tucker (.219/.333), Alex Bregman (.171/.268), Kyle Schwarber (.233/.414), Pete Alonso (.293/.330), and Cody Bellinger (.229/.299).
Bichette demonstrates consistent hitting ability against all pitch types, boasting a career slugging percentage of .460 against right-handed pitchers, .506 against lefties,.470 against fastballs/sinkers, .455 against breaking pitches, and .562 against offspeed pitches. Moreover, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. saw improved results when Bichette batted behind him, hitting .342 with a 1.016 OPS compared to .274 with a .787 OPS when batting in front of other hitters. Guerrero also saw a higher percentage of pitches in the strike zone when Bichette was on deck.
