ORLANDO — The first major bat of the offseason — and a potential target of the Red Sox — appears to be off the board.
According to multiple reports, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber reached a five-year, $150 million agreement to return to the Phillies. The 32-year-old blasted 56 home runs while hitting .240/.365/.563 in 2025, the final season of a four-year deal in which he hit .226/.349/.507 while averaging 47 homers a year as the Phillies’ DH.
Schwarber stood alongside Pete Alonso (38 homers in 2025) as the players who most directly fit the Red Sox’ sought-after description of a middle-of-the-order hitter who can launch the ball. While Eugenio Suárez — coming off a 49-homer season — also has enormous power, his .298 OBP in 2025 suggest a hitter who more likely slots deeper in a lineup.
That said, the Red Sox have had conversations with and about Suárez — potentially as a fallback option at third base should Alex Bregman sign elsewhere, or perhaps as a first base complement to Bregman if the third baseman does return to Boston.
Though Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggested a general desire to add a true middle-of-the-order power hitter, people familiar with the club’s thinking believe that Bregman is near or at the top of the list of targets. The combination of his offensive fit at Fenway, his excellent defense at a premium position, his clubhouse leadership, and his familiarity with the organization — potentially minimizing transitional challenges in a new environment — point to significant interest on the part of the team in a reunion following the 31-year-old’s All-Star campaign in Boston in 2025.
With Schwarber having chosen his destination, the market for premium position players could accelerate.
Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.
