The New York Yankees will surely be active this offseason, and while they may no longer be the same "Evil Empire" from their George Steinbrenner days, there are sure to make at least one significant addition.

The general consensus has long been that the Yankees will re-sign Cody Bellinger and then patch up the rest of their roster, which could include swinging a trade for a frontline starting pitcher and also shoring up their bullpen.

It wouldn't be shocking to see New York add another bat somewhere, either, and the Yanks have already apparently expressed trade interest in St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan.

But earlier this week, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed that he has checked in on a very surprising player in free agency: Kyle Schwarber.

Schwarber may very well be the best slugger on the open market. He slashed .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and 132 RBI over 724 plate appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025, finishing second in NL MVP voting and earning his third All-Star selection.

Why wouldn't the Bronx Bombers want to pursue the left-handed power hitter, especially with the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium, right?

Well, here's the thing: Schwarber is almost exclusively a designated hitter, and the Yankees already have Giancarlo Stanton — who actually posted a higher OPS than Schwarber (.944) this past season — locked into the DH spot. Not only that, but it stands to reason that Aaron Judge, who already DHs sometimes, will ultimately take over that spot down the line.

Let me just preface everything else I'm about to say by stating this: more than likely, this was just Cashman doing his due diligence. He is probably checking in every star player available in free agency, ranging from Schwarber to Kyle Tucker to Framber Valdez. It's part of the job.

Heck, I can pretty much guarantee that Cashman gets calls from teams asking what it would take for the Yankees to trade Judge once in a while. This is what front-office executives do.

But let me also pose another possibility: could New York be viewing Schwarber as an option for first base?

Remember: earlier this offseason, Cashman said he probably views Ben Rice as a first baseman. Rice was a catcher in the minor leagues and caught some games last season. Austin Wells is the Yanks' starting backstop, but he has struggled mightily at the plate. Cashman himself even said that he would be open to trade discussions.

So perhaps the Yankees are considering jettisoning Wells, putting Rice behind the plate and starting Schwarber at first base?

I'm not saying this would be ideal. Schwarber was an outfielder and a catcher (ironically enough) before eventually becoming a full-time designated hitter. He has only played first base for 10 games in his entire big-league career, and that came with the Boston Red Sox in 2021. However, Schwarber did work on his first-base skills for the Phillies in spring training last year, and generally, most major-league players can play first.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that Schwarber — who has never been defensively inclined — would be any good at it, but it might be worth a shot considering just how good his bat is.

I'll conclude all of this by saying that the Yankees almost certainly aren't signing Schwarber. Their money could be better spent elsewhere. But it's an intriguing idea, to say the least.