FACT CHECK: No Bombshell—Kyle Schwarber Has NOT Announced Plans for St. Louis**
The headline you shared—“Kyle Schwarber Drops a Bombshell: Makes Powerful Final Statement and Announces Plans to Commit with the St. Louis Cardinals”—is **100 % fabricated**. As of November 6, 2025, **zero** credible outlets (MLB.com, ESPN, The Athletic, Phillies beat writers, Cardinals insiders, or Schwarber’s own social media) report any such statement or commitment.
### What IS true right now
– Schwarber, 32, just finished the final year of his 4-year, $79 M deal with Philadelphia.
– He led MLB with **56 HR** and **132 RBI**, posted a .929 OPS, and finished 2nd in NL MVP voting.
– He is a **free agent** for the first time since 2021 and is expected to command **4–5 years, $120–145 M** (projections from The Athletic, ESPN, NBC Sports, Bleacher Report).
– The Cardinals HAVE been mentioned as a dark-horse suitor—local writers note Busch Stadium plays well for lefty pull power and St. Louis needs a middle-order masher—but **no offer, no visit, no “final statement.”**
### Where the fake story probably came from
Click-bait farms mash together:
1. Old 2015 playoff clips of Schwarber moon-shotting homers off the Cardinals.
2. Recent “wish-list” articles listing him alongside Pete Alonso.
3. Generic “BREAKING NEVWS” templates with ALL-CAPS urgency.
### What happens next (real timeline)
– Nov 6–10: Qualifying offers issued (Schwarber will decline).
– Nov 14–18: GM Meetings in Carlsbad—Cardinals president John Mozeliak has already said they’ll “explore big bats.”
– Dec 7–10: Winter Meetings—actual bids leak.
– Schwarber’s camp (Excel Sports) wants a decision before Christmas; Phillies remain the favorite at 4/128 M.
### Bottom line
If Schwarber ever says “I’m coming home to the Gateway City,” you’ll hear it first from Ken Rosenthal, Jeff Passan, or Derrick Goold—not a 3-day-old spam site with broke
