ORLANDO, Fla. – The first domino has fallen.

Kyle Schwarber, the top slugger of this year’s free-agent class, is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year, $150 million contract, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Boston Red Sox were one of several teams in the mix for Schwarber, whom they previously acquired from the Washington Nationals at the ’21 trade deadline. He played 41 regular-season games and helped Boston make an unexpectedly deep postseason run before becoming a free agent and signing a four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies that winter.

Boston is prioritizing a powerful bat for the middle of their lineup, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reiterated Monday. The Red Sox ranked 15th in home runs this season, finishing two short of league average. Schwarber certainly fit the bill. Over the last four years in Philadelphia, he averaged 46.8 home runs per season and slugged .507. This season, he led the NL with 56 homers and the majors with 132 RBI, and finished runner up to Shohei Ohtani for MVP.

Schwarber, who turns 33 on March 5, is also known as a respected clubhouse leader, another need for the Red Sox with Alex Bregman and Rob Refsnyder currently free agents.

The New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Schwarber’s hometown Cincinnati Reds were also in pursuit, but the Pittsburgh Pirates were a surprise dark-horse contender. One of the league’s most frugal franchise reportedly made him a four-year, $120 million offer, a stunning sum for a club whose current franchise record for a free agent is the three-year, $39 million contract to Francisco Liriano in December 2014.

Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Bo Bichette are the top remaining options on the free agent market. The Red Sox have been linked to all three, as well as Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who is on the trading block.