Phillies Predicted To Retain Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite In Free Agency: Insider

Attempting to squash thoughts of a Boston reunion...

Apr 11, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) picks up his hat after chasing down a fly ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Could the Boston Red Sox bring back Kyle Schwarber in free agency?

It's certainly a decent idea on paper. Schwarber will be 33 next season and is pretty much limited to designated hitter duties, but the Red Sox traded away Rafael Devers (maybe you heard about that), so the DH role is wide open next season. What better way to fill it than with the National League's home run leader?

However, for Schwarber to sign with the Red Sox, he must commit to parting ways with the Philadelphia Phillies. And one insider doesn't see that happening.

Schwarber "isn't going anywhere," insider says

On Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicted that Schwarber would be back in a Phillies uniform in 2026, and it wasn't so much a prediction as it was a declaration.

"Forget all of the talk, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber isn’t going anywhere this winter. He loves Philadelphia, and more important, the Phillies love him," wrote Nightengale.

"They simply will not be out-bid by any team, knowing how vital he is to them as not only their greatest power hitter, but their ultimate clubhouse leader."

Schwarber has excelled in his walk year, with a .242/.366/.563 slash line, 49 home runs, and a league-leading 120 RBIs. His OPS was actually higher in 41 games as a Red Sox, though, when he put up a .957 mark in 41 games after the trade deadline in 2021.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in July that he was "very" intrigued (he actually used the word twice) to see how Schwarber's free agency would go, which was about as much of a hint as he could have dropped that he would want Schwarber back without being accused of tampering.

That's no guarantee of interest from the front office, but there's no doubt Cora loved having Schwarber in the dugout. It's been the case everywhere he's gone; the slugger is beloved by everyone with whom he shares a clubhouse.

However, given the Phillies' recent track record of retaining stars in free agency and Nightengale's insistence that they won't let Schwarber leave, it does feel like the Red Sox's chances here are minimal at best. Philadelphia would have to slip up, and Boston would have to be waiting in the wings with a godfather offer.

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