Red Sox's Alex Cora Has Candid Admission On Kyle Schwarber's Return To Phillies

No one in a Red Sox cap could be shocked by this one...

Oct 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) looks into the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the NLDS during the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox might have tried their best, but they likely couldn't ever have pried Kyle Schwarber away from the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox and all of Schwarber's other suitors got the news they had to fear all along, as the three-time All-Star re-upped with the Phillies on a reported five-year, $150 million deal. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Red Sox "considered" Schwarber, but as of Tuesday afternoon, no offer from Boston has been reported.

Way back in July, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he would be "very intrigued" to see how Schwarber's free agency played out. But as much as the skipper and the rest of the Boston brain trust might have liked to have him back, they likely knew their best chance had passed four years ago.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

What Cora, Red Sox knew about Schwarber's free agency

In the wake of the reported deal on Tuesday, Cora admitted what any sane Red Sox fan should as well: the Phillies would have been crazy to let Schwarber walk, no matter what Boston was offering.

“I had a pretty good idea that was going to be the route,” Cora said, per Robbie Hyde on X. “Talking to Dave (Dombrowski) throughout the season, I don’t know if it’s official or not, but he knew that he was a huge part of what they were trying to accomplish and moving forward. So not surprised that if this comes true, it’s with them.”

Schwarber signing is a reset moment not only for the Red Sox, but all of baseball in free agency. Even if he wasn't going to be the top earner in the free-agent class, he was probably the single most-coveted position player. Now, none of those teams that were interested have an excuse to wait around.

Boston has already made one reported transaction in the wake of the Schwarber news, with infielder Vaughn Grissom headed to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Isaiah Jackson. Much bigger moves could be coming, but for now, Cora and the Red Sox seem not to be taking the Schwarber news personally at all.

More MLB: Red Sox's Top Priority Becoming Clear After Kyle Schwarber News: Report