Copyright Essentially Sports
The Boston Red Sox had bigger dreams heading into 2025 than just dipping a toe into October baseball. Their journey back to contention had to start somewhere. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the rest of the Red Sox front office were pretty upfront about their intentions to refine the roster for the 2026 campaign. Boston isn’t short on cash or talent. They can chase big-name free agents and still have a strong stash of top prospects to deal with if the right opportunity comes along. The ‘right opportunity’ might actually be a dream one, because a Phillies $100 million star has been on Boston’s radar. It’s Kyle Schwarber, and let’s just say the Red Sox should be first in line when the 32-year-old becomes available. The buzz around this possible move has longtime Red Sox fans, and even analysts, feeling way more optimistic about what the next season could look like. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get excited about the first round of offseason reports and then the Red Sox promptly got linked to Kyle Schwarber and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since,” Jared Carrabis of MLB Network noted. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad However, the Phillies have already said that keeping Schwarber is high on their to-do list. Even so, Boston has the muscle to match any offer the Phillies throw his way. Again, if they truly want him. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Spotrac has projected a four-year, $99.6 million contract for Schwarber. That will give him an average annual value of $24.9 million. Even Sean McAdam of MassLive.com believes Schwarber would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox: “The Red Sox should do everything they can to sign Kyle Schwarber.” Well, Schwarber won’t come cheap, that’s for sure. He’ll be 33 by next spring, yet he just put up a career-high 56 homers and has averaged nearly 47 over the past four seasons with the Phillies. Now, just add his durability. He has missed only 21 games over that span, and you’ve got a DH who’s arguably the best in the game after Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Kyle Schwarber could hit anywhere in the top four spots of the lineup. There is no reason why the Red Sox wouldn’t be interested in him. And as far as Boston’s starting rotation is concerned, they could form one of the league’s premier starting pitcher tandems if they acquire this Detroit Tigers’ star. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The Red Sox to go after this Detroit Tigers star While there is no official word on Tarik Skubal being available, some analysts think a trade could be in the cards this offseason. With the Boston Red Sox still searching for a top-tier arm, adding the pitcher who’s currently neck-and-neck with Garrett Crochet in the Cy Young race would be a perfect fit. Skubal is a pitcher many see as a future two-time AL Cy Young winner. He is now entering the final year of arbitration. Soon to turn 29, he’s in the middle of one of the most dominant stretches on the mound in recent memory. However, due to some early-career injuries, he’ll have thrown fewer than 1,000 innings by the time he reaches free agency. Yet, if and when he hits the free agency market, MLB experts expect him to become the highest-paid pitcher in the game. If the Red Sox want to even think about trading for Tarik Skubal, John Henry will need to be ready to open the wallet. The Fenway Sports Group has the cash to make it happen. In fact, Craig Breslow knows just how massive that trade would be. But he’d need John Henry’s word that the team is fully committed to keeping Skubal long-term before making any moves. You know the Red Sox will be one of the rare teams with the ability to pull off a trade for the lefty this offseason. They not only have the prospects and pieces to make a deal happen but also the financial power to keep him long-term.
