“I had a pretty good idea that was going to be the route.”
Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies on Tuesday. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The Red Sox weren’t able to reel in the top power hitter on the free-agent market this winter, as DH Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies on a five-year, $150 million contract Tuesday afternoon.
Given Schwarber’s history with Boston as a key cog in their 2021 ALCS run — coupled with the Red Sox’ need for more power in the middle of their lineup — it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Boston was linked to the slugger throughout the offseason.
But, speaking to reporters at MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando on Tuesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged that he had an inkling that the Red Sox — and several other suitors — weren’t going to get much of a chance to beat out the Phillies in a bidding war.
“I had a pretty good idea that was going to be the route,” Cora said of Schwarber sticking around in Philly. “Talking to Dave [Dombrowski] throughout the season, I don’t know if it’s official or not, but he knew that he was a huge part of what they were trying to accomplish and moving forward. So not surprised that if this comes true, it’s with them.”
Schwarber would have been a major lift for a Red Sox team that finished 15th in baseball last season in home runs — including just one big fly in three postseason games against the Yankees.
The 32-year-old DH is coming off a 2025 season where he swatted a league-leading 56 home runs and drove in 132 runs for Philadelphia — finishing second in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani.
Since Boston opted to let Schwarber walk in free agency after the 2021 season, he has averaged 48 home runs and 112 RBI over his four seasons with the Phillies.
“Good for him,” Cora said. “He earned it. I mean, the guy — he’s really good at what he does and what he brings to the equation on the field, off the field, to the community is probably second to none. He’s just one of those that I had the pleasure to manage him in ’21.
“And in a short period of time, the way he impacted the Red Sox organization, the city, I haven’t seen too many of those in our environment, in our market.”
The Phillies were not the only team to reportedly submit a hefty offer for Schwarber. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Baltimore Orioles matched Philly’s offer of five years and $150 million for the potent power hitter.
Rosenthal added that other offers sent to Schwarber’s reps included a five-year, $125 million offer from the Cincinnati Reds and a four-year, $120 million deal from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.