After the Boston Red Sox's early playoff exit, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow mentioned that their lack of home run power was part of their undoing. Adding a slugger should be high on the list of Boston's offseason priorities.
Luckily, a prolific home run hitter, with whom the Sox are already well acquainted, will hit the free agent market this offseason. Kyle Schwarber has already brought his pop to Boston as part of the 2021 playoff team, and fans quickly fell in love with his play and personality. It could make sense for the Red Sox to pursue a reunion.
MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided agrees. He considers the Red Sox and Schwarber's former team, the Philadelphia Phillies, the best fits for the slugger. He estimates that the lefty, who will be 33 by Opening Day, will receive a three to four year deal, which should be an easy sell for Boston given his history with the team and its desperate need for home run power — the Red Sox only had two players who hit more than 20 home runs in 2025 (Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu).
The Red Sox may not give their all to pursuing Schwarber, however, because he's a strange fit on their current roster. Boston has expressed on multiple occasions that it likes to keep its designated hitter spot flexible, which was allegedly a driving force behind the Rafael Devers trade. Schwarber played 154 games as Philly's DH in 2025, and appeared in the outfield just eight times.
MLB insider Robert Murray tabs Red Sox as one of the best fits for free agent Kyle Schwarber
The Red Sox also already have a near-full-time DH on their roster in Masataka Yoshida. Last offseason, Alex Cora attested that Yoshida would spend more time in the outfield in 2025, but he appeared there just six times — he isn't very fast, his defense is questionable and the Sox have three better outfielders in Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony.
Boston may have to trade Yoshida to make a case for signing Schwarber, which has troubled it in the past. Yoshida's offensive production hasn't lived up to the expectations set by his years in Nippon Professional Baseball, and multiple injuries have kept him off the field for extended periods of time duing his Red Sox tenure.
Still, the Sox have to try. Power is Boston's offense's most dire need, and Schwarber would bring it in spades. He slashed .240/.365/.563 with a .928 OPS, a National League-leading 56 homers and MLB-leading 132 RBI over 162 games, and he's a top contender, if not a lock, for NL MVP.
After the Devers trade, the Red Sox are desperate for a slugger and have more than enough money to sign one. If making a tough trade is what it takes to bring Schwarber back to Boston, the front office should do it without a second thought.