The Pittsburgh Pirates have expressed interest in free-agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. However, the report generated immediate doubt among Pirates fans due to the franchise's history of being conservative with spending and the anticipated contract Schwarber would get on the open market.Earlier this offseason, Pittsburgh offered Josh Naylor a contract of at least $80 million before he re-signed with the Seattle Mariners. It was one of the largest offers the Pirates have made in years and indicates at least some willingness to pursue impactful bats.However, the Pirates, valued at $1.35 billion (Forbes), face greater financial constraints than the other teams interested in Schwarber, leaving fans skeptical.“I’m in on Sydney Sweeney,” a fan wrote, referencing the actress in an attempt to highlight how unrealistic the Schwarber rumor sounded.Dan Canobbio @DanCanobbioLINK@TalkinBaseball_ @JeffPassan I’m in on Sydney Sweeney“Absolutely zero chance the Pirates get him. Literally. Zero,” another fan said.“Pirates signing Schwarber would be like winning the Royal Rumble at number one,” a fan commented.“Only if Schwarber is looking to keep his October schedule free,” another fan tweeted.“This is like North Korea putting in a bid for the Olympics,” a fan wrote.“They’ll offer him like $20 million per year and say ‘we tried’ when their fans are pissed that they didn’t sign anybody,” another fan commented.Kyle Schwarber’s monster 2025 season strengthens his case as one of the premier free agents on the marketKyle Schwarber entered the offseason with arguably all the momentum of any hitter in baseball after an extraordinarily dominant power season. The 32-year-old finished the 2025 campaign with 56 home runs, second-most in MLB, while driving in 132 runs and posting a .928 OPS.That production helped him secure a runner-up finish in the National League MVP voting.MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac summarized Schwarber's impact on the Phillies this past season:“If you would ask the three of us who was really the heartbeat of the Philadelphia Phillies in ’25, I think we all agree it was Schwarber.”