Morning Sports Update

Red Sox reportedly looking to sign 2 of 5 hitters they’re targeting in free agency

The Red Sox are seeking to add a "big bat" in free agency this offseason, according to an MLB insider.

Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs with the Phillies this past season. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By Conor Roche

4 minutes to read

Latest rumors on Red Sox free agency: The Red Sox have cast a net of who they want to add in free agency.

Boston is targeting third baseman Alex Bregman, first baseman Pete Alonso, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher J.T. Realmuto, and corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto with the hopes of signing two of those players, the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman reported.

Most of those names have been linked to the Red Sox in the early weeks of free agency. Of course, Bregman spent the 2025 season in Boston after signing a three-year, $120 million deal to join the Red Sox last offseason. He opted out of the final two years of his contract, though. The 31-year-old was arguably the Red Sox’ top hitter last season, hitting .273 with a .821 OPS, 18 homers, and 62 RBIs in 114 games.

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Alonso and Schwarber, meanwhile, have been two of the game’s best power hitters. Schwarber led the National League in home runs (56) and RBIs (132) while posting a .240 batting average last season. Alonso has hit at least 30 homers in every season he’s been in the majors (outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season), including 38 in 2025.

Realmuto and Okamoto, on the other hand, have only recently popped up as possible free-agent targets for the Red Sox. Realmuto, 34, hit .257 with 12 home runs and a .700 OPS in 134 games for the Phillies in 2025. Okamoto, 29, is one of the top international free agents this offseason. The Japanese star hit .322 with 15 homers in 77 games for the Yomiuri Giants of the Japan Central League.

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Of the five hitters, Bregman is the “most likely fit,” Heyman noted. However, the Red Sox would “love another big bat” and would prefer it to be a right-handed hitter, Heyman added.

While Schwarber is a lefty, Heyman reported that the Red Sox are considering signing him because undeniable power and popular locker room presence. Schwarber had a brief stint in Boston in 2021, joining the Red Sox at the trade deadline that year. And left-handed pitchers haven’t been a problem for Schwarber, hitting .252 with 23 homers against them last year.

The Red Sox made their first big swing of the offseason on Tuesday, trading for right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray from the Cardinals. As Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has said that he’d like to acquire another arm that could slot behind Garrett Crochet in the rotation, it’s unclear if they plan to make another move for a pitcher.

“We still intend to improve our team,” Breslow told reporters on Tuesday. “Exactly what that looks like, we don’t know right now.”

Following the Gray trade, the Red Sox have roughly $225 million committed in payroll for the 2025 season, per Red Sox Payroll on X. That would put them $19 million shy of the luxury tax threshold.

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Trivia: The Red Sox and Phillies have seemingly formed a bit of a talent pipeline, with several notable players having played for both organizations. Of the former Phillies players, who signed the biggest deal to join the Red Sox in free agency?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013.

Scores and schedules:

After more than a week on the road, the Bruins are back home. They host the Rangers at 1 p.m. on Friday. The Bruins went 2-2 on their recent four-game road trip, which concluded with a victory over the Islanders on Wednesday.

The Celtics picked up their biggest win of the season prior to Thanksgiving, defeating the Pistons, 117-114. However, the win wasn’t good enough to help keep Boston’s hopes alive to advance to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup. The Celtics will be back in action on Saturday, when they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota at 5 p.m.

Finally, the Patriots have an extra day’s rest this weekend as they take on the Giants on Monday night. The Patriots look to extend their winning streak to 10 games as they host the 2-10 Giants.

Read more from Boston.com:

Jack White, Eminem, Post Malone, Lil John perform at halftime for Thanksgiving games:

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The halftime shows for Thursday’s NFL games featured some of the biggest artists. Jack White played at halftime of the Packers-Lions game, with Eminem making a surprise appearance. Post Malone performed at halftime of the Chiefs-Cowboys game. Finally, Lil John was the halftime performer at the Bengals-Ravens matchup.

Chiefs on the brink?

The Chiefs fell to 6-6 with their 31-28 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday, putting them in a tough spot to make the postseason with five games remaining. Kansas City only has a 44% chance to make the postseason, according to The Athletic‘s playoff simulator. Next Gen Stats, meanwhile, has the Chiefs’ odds to make the playoffs at 39%.

On this day: Twenty-three years ago on Friday, the Patriots picked up their first win on Thanksgiving Day in franchise history. They defeated the Lions, 20-12, in Detroit behind strong performances from Troy Brown (10 receptions, 111 yards) and the defense. Tedy Bruschi logged a pick-six that wound up being one of the game-deciding scores in the 2002 victory.

Daily highlight: The Cowboys’ offense played a big role in their upset victory over the Chiefs on Thursday. George Pickens was one of the reasons why. He turned a short gain into a 40-yard reception in the fourth quarter when he spun out of a tackle and hurdled over a Chiefs defender on the drive that would give the Cowboys the lead.

Trivia answer: Shane Victorino

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