Juan Soto is gone, and in the end, the Red Sox weren't even close. Soto chose $765 million of Steve Cohen's money over whatever emotional arguments the Red Sox could muster to augment their own $700 million play (per MassLive's Sean McAdam).
Crush them if you want, but also acknowledge this for what it was -- the richest owner in the sport deciding he wouldn't be denied. I suspect that if John Henry had offered $775 million, Cohen would've bumped his bid to $800 million and just kept on escalating to infinity.
The Red Sox had hoped to sway Soto by playing on his love of David Ortiz, but all you need to know about the role of sentimentality in this negotiation was that the Yankees reportedly offered $760 million and Soto still took his talents to Flushing over a measly $5 million. It was always going to be about the high bid, and the Red Sox were never going to have it.
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But they still accomplished something important. Unlike last winter, when they were willing to pay Yoshinobu Yamamoto roughly $300 million before pocketing that money when he chose the Dodgers, this massive offer to Soto wasn't a one-off. Their needs – starting pitching, right-handed hitting, bullpen help – haven't changed. And even if they don't spend $700 million this winter, they clearly intend to act aggressively.
So where might they pivot? Here are five names that could move quickly as the offseason enters its next phase.
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1. Alex Bregman, 3B
Winning pedigree, right-handed power, and Gold Glove defense. What's not to love? Well, Bregman is almost 31 and already has a lot of mileage, thanks to 99 career playoff games, which means his 8-WAR days are also probably behind him.
To which I say: so what? Bregman would be a culture-changer and a leader, and there's nothing he hasn't seen. He's also willing to move to second base, although it probably makes more sense to leave his Gold Glove at third and start Rafael Devers on his transition to either first base or DH.
Bregman will probably end up being at least a $200 million player in this market, but if the Red Sox want stars, they're going to have to pay for them.
2. Teoscar Hernandez, OF
This one won't cost nearly as much, and also WOULD signal that the Red Sox have learned from their mistakes. Last winter, the Sox pursued Hernandez, but ultimately lost him to the Dodgers on a one-year, $23.5 million deal. Had they been more aggressive, they would've landed a player who has destroyed Fenway Park throughout his career to the tune of 14 homers and 44 RBIs in 45 games.
They can right that wrong this winter and pencil in Hernandez for 30 homers. Adding Hernandez and Bregman would rebalance the lineup in one fell swoop.
3. Max Fried, SP
Had the Red Sox signed Soto, they almost certainly would've had to trade for a starting pitcher to make the economics work. Now they can hold on to Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer and just get one the old-fashioned way: with money.
The 30-year-old Fried is widely expected to land with either the Yankees or Red Sox, and it will be a test of Craig Breslow's resolve to see if he can win a bidding war with a motivated, deep-pocketed rival. The left-hander could be worth it, though, especially since the AL East is now wide open without Soto in it.
Lest we forget, the Yankees battled inconsistency across their rotation all season, from ace Gerrit Cole's injury to a middling campaign from Marcus Stroman. Even Carlos Rodon's bounce-back season had its down moments before he struggled in the playoffs.
The Yankees need help, and by winning the Fried sweepstakes, the Red Sox could deny them an obvious upgrade.
4. Corbin Burnes, SP
Everything about Fried applies to Burnes as well. A Cy Young winner with the Brewers, he came to the Orioles and largely delivered, winning 15 games with a 2.92 ERA and placing fifth in the AL Cy Young voting while also proving he could thrive in the AL East.
Burnes has exhibited some worrying signs – his strikeout rate has steadily decreased in each of the last five years – but he just turned 30 and is good for 190 innings a year. The Red Sox desperately need an accomplished, experienced arm to front their rotation, and Burnes fits the description.
5. Tanner Scott, RP
The Red Sox have already made one move to address their bullpen, adding left-hander Aroldis Chapman despite a past suspension for domestic abuse. As they look to add swing-and-miss in the late innings, Scott is probably the best pitcher available.
Scott is coming off an All-Star season with the Marlins and Padres that saw him compile a 1.75 ERA while striking out 84 in 72 innings. He's a flamethrower, averaging 97 mph on his four-seamer while employing an old-fashioned fastball-slider repertoire.
Breslow is rebuilding an underwhelming bullpen, and Scott, Chapman, and rehabbing right-hander Liam Hendriks would give manager Alex Cora some potential firepower in the late innings.