Before the offseason began, it was clear that the Boston Red Sox needed a little more pop in the middle of their lineup.

Despite all of the injuries, Boston was able to limp into the playoffs, but the Red Sox’s lineup wasn’t at full strength. With guys out, including Roman Anthony, the Boston lineup was lacking some zip. Boston finished the regular season 15th in the league in homers with 186.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Throughout the general manager meetings, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow talked about the team’s goals for the offseason and talked about adding a slugger while acknowledging that in the playoffs, a “disproportionate” number of runs are scored through home runs. Because of this, the Red Sox obviously need more power.

The Red Sox are looking to add some power

Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso’s names have been thrown around. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported that some in the Boston circle prefer Alonso over Schwarber because he has more defensive flexibility. Philadelphia Phillies insider Matt Gelb of The Athletic pointed to Schwarber’s bond with manager Alex Cora as why Boston still “cannot be overlooked.”

“If not the Phillies, who is it? The Chicago Cubs have indicated they are focused on top-of-the-market pitching options,” Gelb said. “The Texas Rangers have signaled they must reduce payroll. The Cincinnati Reds have almost $40 million coming off their books from last season, but probably cannot spend most of it on one player.

“The Boston Red Sox are heavy on left-handed hitters and prefer to keep their DH spot open as a way to rotate regulars. But there is a strong bond between Boston manager Alex Cora and Schwarber that cannot be overlooked. The New York Mets could pivot to Schwarber if they want to move on from Pete Alonso. Maybe the Toronto Blue Jays make a play for Schwarber if Bo Bichette departs? This is why Schwarber’s camp will want to keep every door open for as long as possible. The Phillies are willing to wait; they consider Schwarber essential to the entire operation.”

The fact that Gelb mentioned Schwarber’s connection to Cora is interesting and could be considered a good selling point in negotiations this offseason, if Boston goes in that direction. Cora said back in July that he was “very” interested in how Schwarber’s free agency was going to go. The fact that Schwarber has already played in Boston and that connection to Cora certainly raises eyebrows.

What is clear above all else is that the Red Sox are looking around and with the sheer volume of noise out there, it wouldn’t be a massive shock if either of these guys came to town. Alonso is a homegrown New York Mets star. Schwarber has been with the Phillies over the last few years, but he has played on a few teams, including Boston. Either would be a solution Boston needs.

More MLB: David Ortiz Shares Surprising Alex Bregman–Rafael Devers Story