The Philadelphia Phillies not exploring an extension for slugger Kyle Schwarber more thoroughly is aging poorly with each passing day. His price tag continues to skyrocket amid a career-best campaign. While he's voiced a desire to stay put, there will be no shortage of suitors pursuing him in free agency this offseason. Chief among those who could be interested is the Boston Red Sox, according to Conor Ryan of Boston.com.
Boston suddenly has money to play with after shockingly trading superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. They saved "roughly $27-31 million" annually through 2033 by making the blockbuster swap, as Ryan mentions. With a newfound abundance of funds, the Red Sox have the resources and plenty of motivation to make Philadelphia sweat out losing Schwarber.
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Red Sox being connected to Kyle Schwarber is bad news for the Phillies
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has stood 10 toes down on his decision to send Devers to the Giants. He said the move was made with a goal of "[assembling] the best time that [they] possibly could." With that in mind, Boston has the motivation to pair with its financial flexibility, making Schwarber a viable target.
Oh, not to mention, Schwarber has no problem operating as a designated hitter. As Red Sox Nation knows, Devers wasn't particularly keen about ditching his glove upon the arrival of standout infielder Alex Bregman. Boston wouldn't have to worry about that with Philly's veteran slugger, a respected clubhouse leader who ostensibly understands his defensive limitations.
Ryan alludes to the tension-free nature of replacing Devers' presence in the batting order with Schwarber.
"If the Red Sox intend on adding 30-40 homers to their lineup without much hassle, giving Schwarber a contract this winter would be the best path forward," Ryan wrote. An easy, smooth and fruitful partnership sounds quite nice, considering what Boston just experienced with Devers (although at least some of that was of their own doing). Breslow and Co. may be willing to pay extra for peace of mind.
Could the Red Sox's history with Kyle Schwarber factor into their free agency pursuit?
In 2021, the Red Sox sent right-handed pitching prospect Aldo Ramirez to the Washington Nationals for Schwarber. It was Boston's big deadline swing that season. However, fit concerns led to Boston ultimately letting the latter leave that winter.
Are the Red Sox ready to atone for their past mistake? Will Schwarber keep this in mind when scouring the market?
"Letting Schwarber walk after his brief stint with Boston in 2021 was a miscalculation," Ryan said. In fairness, Boston already had a good outfield trio in Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernández and Hunter Renfroe and an everyday DH in J.D. Martinez. Nonetheless, you don't let talent out of the door that easily, especially for nothing in return.