Kyle Schwarber to the Reds? Manager Terry Francona comments
Cincinnati manager Terry Francona declined to reveal whether he has talked to Kyle Schwarber during the Reds’ pursuit of the Middletown free agent.
Reds manager Terry Francona and team president Nick Krall declined to comment on specific negotiations.The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox are also considered contenders for Schwarber.Schwarber, a three-time All-Star, led the National League with 56 home runs in 2025.
ORLANDO – On the first day of MLB’s winter meetings, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona wouldn’t say whether he’s talked to Kyle Schwarber about signing with the Reds, and team president Nick Krall said he won’t talk about anything related to any offer(s) he might have made.
Which is to say the Reds considered themselves still in the hunt for perhaps the most ideal free agent fit the team has encountered in years even as the big-market Mets and Red Sox have reportedly joined the pursuit − and as sources say the big-spending Phillies expect to circle back with their MVP runner-up to take a shot at beating other offers to keep him. That could happen as early as this week.
“I’m probably not on an island when I say he’s a really good player and he’s a really good kid and he’s got a great reputation,” Reds manager Terry Francona said when asked about his involvement in the team’s efforts to woo Schwarber. “Other than that, I’d like to leave it to him to speak about whatever he wants to because I think that’s the most respectful way to handle it.”
Krall, who gestured to Francona when asked what the Reds have to offer beyond sheer money in a pitch to Schwarber, said he doesn’t know where the team stands in the sweepstakes for the three-time All-Star who led the NL with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025.
“I’m not sure,” Krall said. “He’s a really good player that obviously fits on any team.”
The consensus among MLB insiders seems to be that Schwarber will return to Philadelphia, where the owner and front office value him as a key to their playoff lineup and clubhouse.
But the Mets could be a sneaky contender for him, especially if they’ve cooled on spending to bring back their own Pete Alonso and if that, in turn, drives the will to spend for Schwarber.
One source close to the process said if Schwarber doesn’t return to the Phillies it will be because he makes a decision less about top dollar than about where he’d rather be.
That might be the one scenario that puts the Reds in a position of strength − though the financial offer almost certainly would still have to be in the neighborhood of Schwarber’s stronger offers.
“Look, Cincinnati’s a great place. It’s a great fan base,” Krall said. “You start with Opening Day. We’ve got a good young nucleus of players. We’ve got a really good pitching staff. We made the playoffs last year and are hoping to build off that. I think there are a lot of positives that we do.”
Whether Reds ownership and the business side has considered any potential attendance/revenue boosts created by adding a popular hometown All-Star as a rationale to push in more resources for a player, Krall would say only that “I think people (in the organization) look at every aspect.”
From the time Schwarber was asked by the Enquirer in July about his hometown Reds as a free agent destination to the Phillies trip to Cincinnati in August, when he was asked by more local media, the big slugger has said nothing but good things about the Reds and his childhood memories of them while staying noncommittal.
As for Francona, he said he didn’t get much of a chance to meet Schwarber or get to know much about him over the years.
“He was too busy beating us in the World Series,” said Francona, whose then-Indians lost in 7 games to the Cubs in 2016 after Schwarber’s shocking return from a season-long knee injury to play a significant role.
If you can’t beat ‘em in 2016, join ‘em in 2026? Maybe even for as little as $125 million, a couple of opt-out clauses and a waterfront view.