Alex Cora Open to Reunion Between Red Sox, Kyle Schwarber originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The trade deadline is just over one week away, but when it comes to one specific thing, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is already thinking ahead to this upcoming offseason. That just so happens to be when one of his former players – Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber – is set to become a free agent.
Schwarber’s and Cora’s squads are in the midst of a three-game series against each other, with the Phillies taking the first two games by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. After Tuesday’s contest, Cora admitted he was “very intrigued” about Schwarber’s impending free agency and the possibility of a reunion with the three-time All-Star at Fenway Park.
“He’s a guy that, in a short period of time, he touched everyone here,” Cora said, via The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
Cora held his current role as manager during Schwarber’s brief stint with the Red Sox in 2021. Schwarber, whom the club acquired the day before the trade deadline, went on to play 41 regular-season games for the organization, hitting .291 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, 18 RBIs, and a .957 OPS.
But Schwarber’s power-hitting skills shone the brightest during the postseason, as he slugged an additional three-round trippers – including a grand slam in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros – as the Red Sox came just two games short of a trip to the World Series.
Schwarber has remained one of the game’s most elite sluggers. Through 101 games in 2025, Schwarber has hit 33 home runs (third in the National League), driven in 75 runs (fourth in the NL), hit for a .248 batting average, slugged .558 (fifth in the NL), and accumulated a .934 OPS.
And with Rafael Devers, the Red Sox’s former everyday designated hitter, now out of the picture after being dealt to the San Francisco Giants, the door for Schwarber to join the franchise could open this winter.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.