Trenni Casey and Mike Giardi discuss reports that the Red Sox are set to meet with free agent Juan Soto and whether or not they think Boston ownership will really spend somewhere north of $600M to sign the free agent.
So far, it's safe to say the rumors linking Juan Soto to the Red Sox are coming from Soto's camp. Agent Scott Boras knows how to drive interest in his clients, and having the Red Sox in the mix has never hurt business, although it doesn't mean as much as it once did.
Maybe it will again down the road. For now, the fact that the two sides will reportedly meet this week in California presents the clearest evidence yet that the Red Sox intend to act this winter.
I know, I know, they're the interest kings who are in on everybody without ever taking home the prize. And I suspect their pursuit of Soto will end similarly, since there are plenty of rich suitors with a better chance of winning right now, starting with the Dodgers, but also including the Yankees and Mets. They're pitching immediate contention, and not the promise of a rebuild entering its next phase.
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Still, you're not meeting Soto unless you're willing to pay him, and his asking price is no secret. Start at $500 million and be prepared to raise the pot. He may challenge Shohei Ohtani's record $700 million deal, because he is that impactful a hitter, and he's only 26 years old.
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Even making a pitch at those numbers signals a marked shift in Boston's approach. Since the departure of Dave Dombrowski in 2019, the Red Sox have largely refused to engage top-tier free agents. They made an exception for Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto last winter, but that case doesn't compare to this one, because when the bidding started, Yamamoto was projected to receive a deal in the $180 million range.
Only when the market collectively realized that a 25-year-old ace could be had for only money did the price soar to its final landing point of $325 million. The Red Sox were willing to go high, but not quite that high. (MassLive's Sean McAdam reports they bid $300 million.)
Yamamoto was clearly a one-off. They'd either get him or they'd get no one, and we know how that ended. From full throttle to adrift with the engines cut, the Red Sox largely ignored the big league roster and finished 81-81 because of it. Manager Alex Cora guaranteed it wouldn't happen again, and now the Red Sox appear intent on proving the point.
Whether that means Soto or Corbin Burnes or a trade for Garrett Crochet, I have come around to the belief that they will do something big this winter. Their young players are ready to contribute, and now is exactly the time when John Henry can most easily afford big contracts, while the youthful core winds its way through arbitration.
Perhaps I am a sucker, because they've sent these signals before. But all I know is this – if you're not planning to do something legitimate this winter, you're not meeting Juan Soto. There'd be no point, and the Red Sox have to know their fans are done with empty gestures, right?
