Where do Reds turn after missing out on Schwarber?

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Reds may have been his hometown team, but the Phillies already had free agent Kyle Schwarber's heart for wanting to return to them. More importantly, they produced the money needed to make it happen.

Cincinnati came up short in its efforts to land Schwarber, who sources say agreed to terms on a five-year, $150 million contract with Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Phillies, with whom he spent the last four seasons, have not made an official announcement, but the Reds were notified Tuesday morning by his agent, Casey Close, that they would not get the Middletown, Ohio, native.

“Kyle’s a great guy and obviously he made a decision that’s best for his family. That’s great. I’m happy for him,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “Obviously, Philadelphia -- he liked it there. He’s a really good guy. I respect that. He’s a great talent. You’re always disappointed when you don’t get somebody. But that’s just the way it goes. You’ve got to figure out how to pick it up and move to the next guy.”

Krall would not divulge the Reds’ best offer to Schwarber. The Athletic reported that it was also a five-year contract but in the range of $125 million with room to grow, and also noted that the Orioles matched Philadelphia's offer. Sources told MLB.com that the Pirates offered a four-year contract worth $125 million.

The Reds first reached out to Schwarber's representatives at the GM Meetings last month. Schwarber and his wife, Paige, visited the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Nov. 24 for a meeting that included Krall, general manager Brad Meador, owner Bob Castellini, manager Terry Francona and hitting coach Chris Valaika.

The group had lunch together and Schwarber listened as the Reds made their sales pitch.

"Then we made an offer last week and that process [continued]," Krall said. “We talked in between. Obviously we had conversations around different things.”

There were no further contract negotiations as Schwarber fielded other offers. The Red Sox and Mets were also among the clubs with reported interest in Schwarber.

“I think we mostly waited until we got here," Krall said.

In 2025, Schwarber finished second for the National League MVP Award. He led the NL with 56 homers and the Majors with 132 RBIs, appearing to be a perfect fit for a Cincinnati club needing an impact bat.

Now the Reds must pivot to pursue someone else capable of boosting their offense, which was a weak spot despite reaching the postseason with 83 wins.

But no matter who they get, that player will lack the hometown cache and fan buzz that Schwarber would have brought to Cincinnati.

It's not yet clear if the Reds would extend a big-ticket offer to another free agent. But it seems unlikely that Cincinnati would go after another superstar player like Pete Alonso or Cody Bellinger. The club could split up some money among multiple players at a lower cost, but are also exploring potential trades.

“We’re still working through the trade market, the free-agent market and seeing who’s out there that best fits us,” Krall said. “Maybe it’s a couple. Maybe it’s one. Our budget is in a similar spot as it was last year, and we’re still working through all we can do with different things.”

The Winter Meetings end after the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. Could the Reds get a deal done before leaving town?

“You never know," Krall said. "Sometimes a deal can come together in a day. And sometimes even though you agreed to it on a Tuesday, three weeks later, you finally do it.”