One of the few things that was clear from the Red Sox‘s mostly obfuscated season-ending press conference this week was that the team is going to need to get more power in its lineup, that the Alex Cora trope of “keeping the line moving” as a way to fuel the offense just was not an ideal recipe, especially in the playoffs. Home runs can help a team navigate through slumps in the regular season and, more important, they can win games in the postseason.
And the Red Sox, who were led by Trevor Story with 25 homers and Wilyer Abreu with 22, do not have a power-laden lineup. There were injuries, to be sure, to Alex Bregman and Triston Casas, two potential power sources, but the fact is, the Red Sox do not have enough pop, probably not even if those guys were 100%.
“We faced significant injuries in the course of the season to guys that have shown they can hit the ball out of the ballpark, whether that was in the big leagues or internally,” baseball chief Craig Breslow said. “So, we’ll actively look to improve the roster. That means we have to be willing to look into free-agency, trade and internally.”
Kyle Schwarber Fits Red Sox Needs
It doesn’t help that Story has a potential opt-out on his current contract and can be a free agent. He is probably set to opt in, but Bregman–who was third on the team with 18 homers–is all but certain to opt out.
No matter what those two do, though, the Red Sox will still need another slugger.
On the MassLive podcast “The Fenway Rundown” with longtime Red Sox beat man Sean McAdam and veteran Chris Cotillo, the feeling was that the Red Sox will pursue Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies star who his a league-high 56 homers and 132 RBIs at age 32.
Schwarber was briefly with the Red Sox in 2021 as a trade deadline addition, hitting .291 with a .957 OPS in 41 games to power Boston into a postseason run. He left for the Phillies the next year, and getting him back would not be easy.
GettyAlex Bregman running to home plate during a game against the Rangers.
Red Sox Could Pursue a Reunion
Complicating matters is the fact that Schwarber is a lefty who can play the outfield and DH, not ideal for a team packed with outfielders and lefties.
Said Cotillo: “The more we get closer—and he is not a perfect fit for the roster, and you’d have to figure it out and it would be limiting in some ways—I think a Schwarber reunion is something that is really going to be on the table here.”
Cotillo mentioned Pete Alonso as a righty who makes sense, but added, “At that point, when you’re getting 50 homers, does it matter whether he’s left-handed or right-handed? (Schwarber) crushes the hell out of lefties every year, Schwarber does, and so I think it’s in play. Cora loves him.”
Red Sox Could Make ‘Overwhelming’ Offer
McAdam posited that Schwarber might be an option if the Red Sox lose out on Bregman, though the Bregman negotiations might drag out longer than the negotiations for Schwarber, which means the Red Sox could miss out on both.
Spotrac projects both Schwarber and Bregman (who is a better defensive player, a big consideration in Boston) to have market values of four years and $100 million, though that feels underpriced for both players.
Both could be leaders, though of different stripes and styles. “Schwarber brings a different kind of leadership and it’s a little more vocal and a little more outgoing, maybe not as studied and earnest as it is with Bregman. But it’s an important leadership void that he would fill,” McAdam said.
“Maybe the Red Sox could overwhelm (Schwarber) a little bit, and overpay and bring him back to be the leadoff guy, or the No. 3—that’s the other thing, he can do just about everything.”
Red Sox Signing Kyle Schwarber for Reunion Tabbed ‘On the Table’