Some in Red Sox’ ‘inner circle’ want Alonso over Schwarber

Boston Red Sox

First baseman Pete Alonso hit 38 home runs and drove in 126 RBI with the Mets this past season.

With money to spend this offseason, the Red Sox are already linked to several high-profile free agents.

First baseman Pete Alonso and former Red Sox outfielder Kyle Schwarber have been connected to Boston in rumors dating back to the regular season earlier this year. Both of whom are power-hitting bats who would slot into the top half of the Red Sox’ lineup if the team landed one of them.

Considering Schwarber’s brief yet memorable tenure in Boston during the second half of the 2021 season, which he helped prolong by leading them to the postseason for the first time since 2018, his name has appeared most often in reports thus far.

Between the Red Sox “loving” the 32-year-old, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, and Fansided’s Robert Murray expecting the club to be a “big player” in the Schwarber sweepstakes, Boston’s interest in a reunion with his bat is evident early this winter. The interest is certainly valid given Schwarber’s 2025 regular season stats: 56 home runs, 132 RBI, 108 walks, and a .928 OPS through 162 games with the Phillies.

However, per reporting by Cotillo, the Red Sox aren’t set on which player they want to prioritize.

“At the outset of the offseason, a well-connected industry source with knowledge of Boston’s thinking didn’t think the Red Sox would be a major player for Alonso. This week, however, word is there are some in the club’s inner circle that prefer Alonso to Kyle Schwarber,” Cotillo wrote on Thursday.

Alonso, 30, may not have slugged a staggering 56 home runs in 2025 like Schwarber did, but his bat is no walk in the park to face. This past season with the Mets, Alonso hit 38 home runs and drove in 126 runs. He batted .272 with an .871 OPS and didn’t miss a single game all year, just like Schwarber.

Position-wise, while Boston did play Schwarber at first base four years ago (in 10 games), he has almost solely been a designated hitter the last couple of seasons. He DHed in 144 games in 2024 and again in 154 this past season.

Schwarber has played left field just 13 times over the last two years. He fielded the position in 103 games in 2023 and 139 times in 2022; it seems possible that he could pick up the glove more frequently if need be with the Red Sox given his clean bill of health in recent seasons.

Alonso, on the other hand, is a full-time first baseman. He played 160 games at the position and DHed twice in 2025.

The Red Sox have an outfield logjam, so a move of some sort would likely have to be made if Schwarber were to sign. As far as first base goes, given Triston Casas’s injury and uncertainty about his role in the organization moving forward, bringing on a player like Alonso would be much simpler.

Either way, the addition of either slugger would greatly aid Boston in the power department. Trevor Story led all Red Sox hitters with 25 home runs, followed by Wilyer Abreu (22), Alex Bregman (18), and Jarren Duran (16). Story opted in to his contract and will remain with the team for the remaining two years of his deal, but Abreu, Bregman, and Duran are not guaranteed to be on the roster in 2026. Abreu and Duran’s names have been mentioned in trade rumors (re: outfield logjam), while Bregman opted out of his Red Sox deal earlier this month to become a free agent.

Boston anticipates spending big this offseason, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam, which means going over the first competitive balance tax threshold ($244 million). Signing either Alonso or Schwarber would mean spending big. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently projected Alonso to ink a four-year, $110 million contract ($27.5 million per year) and Schwarber to sign a four-year, $128 million deal ($32 million per year).

Kaley Brown

Sports producer

Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.