Rumored Red Sox All-Star Target Linked To Pirates

Are the Pittsburgh Pirates going to play a weird role in the Boston Red Sox’s offseason? The Red Sox showed on Tuesday that they’re already making moves this offseason. Boston traded for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray, but what’s next for the Red Sox? Many fans assume that Boston will go after a big-time bat, whether that means re-signing Alex Bregman, or signing another marquee free agent (or both).

MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber has been a name linked to the Red Sox by many pundits, but Schwarber will have a handful of suitors, including at least one surprising team (according to a new report): the Pirates.

According to @Ken_Rosenthal The Pirates are preparing to invest into the team surrounding Paul Skenes

Kyle Schwarber is named by Rosenthal as a logical target though he might prefer to sign with a “more competitive team” like the Phillies.

The Pirates have also “checked in”… pic.twitter.com/8OhS1GGu2X

— Matthew Crory (@matthewcrory) November 24, 2025

The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal revealed recently that the Pirates are looking to uncharacteristically spend some legit money this winter as they look to build a product around Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. Rosenthal called Schwarber a logical fit for Pittsburgh in this regard.

While it’s difficult to imagine the Pirates landing Schwarber, it’s good to hear that Pittsburgh’s front office is reportedly interested in making some adjustments in their buying habits as a means to satisfy a passionate fan base.

The report also serves as a reminder as to how coveted Schwarber is as an asset. The 32-year-old smashed 56 home runs in 2025 to go along with 132 RBI and 111 runs scored. He played all 162 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Schwarber is known to be a tremendous source of value in the clubhouse, and the Phillies are expected to do all they can to retain that value and Schwarber’s on-the-field production. Certain teams might be turned off by Schwarber’s essentially permanent DH status, depending on their current roster makeup, but there’s not much to dislike beyond that.

He is estimated to land a deal in the four-to-five-year range between $120 million and $140 million. Schwarber was briefly a member of the Red Sox for the second half of the 2021 MLB season. He appeared in 41 games for Boston and hit .291 with seven homers. Schwarber also appeared in 11 playoff games for the Red Sox that season and hit a grand slam for them in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros.