2 reason Red Sox should add Juan Soto and 2 why they shouldn't
After two consecutive last place finishes the Red Sox are looking for anything to help them dig out the bottom of the AL East. Can Juan Soto help them out or will he cost too much?
Following a second consecutive last place finish, the Boston Red Sox are looking to remedy their fortunes through off-season acquisitions. It seems like the Red Sox have a need at just about every position from pitching, to outfield, to middle infield. Just about the only position that's, at least somewhat, solid is catching and middle bullpen.
Some are calling for pitching to be addressed, but John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston, along with a few other reporters, think that a trade for San Diego Padres' outfielder Juan Soto might be the antidote to an ailing Boston offense.
While Soto would fix a lot of offensive issues for the Red Sox, it's merely speculation as of right now whether the ownership group of John Henry and co. would even explore the option of acquiring the star right fielder.
Let's weight the pros and cons, shall we?
Positives of Red Sox adding Juan Soto
I mean, let's be real, where do we even begin? There are so many positives to adding adding to Dominican-born outfielder that this list could go on for hours. We'll keep it short and sweet though, and give you two broad positives and expand on them underneath.
Pro No. 1 - Juan Soto adds A LOT of offense
The first thing that Soto would do is he would add some instant pop to a lineup that wasn't necessarily flat last season, but lacked that consistent hitter who you could always count on to produce.
In the beginning of the season last year, it was Alex Verdugo, but as the season wore on, the ability to produce went down for the team as a whole. Soto, on the other hand, has produced to say the least.
In his six years in the league between his time with the Washington Nationals and the Padres, he has hit .284 with 160 home runs and 483 RBI. On top of all of this, Soto has also learned to be patient at the plate as well walking 640 times in this time.
Pro No. 2 - He is a bonafide All-Star, MVP candidate (almost) every year
In his six season in the major leagues, Soto has been to the All-Star game three times and has also won the Silver Slugger Award as many times. He has not won an MVP yet, but he was the runner-up in 2021 and has had MVP-like seasons almost every year he's been in the show.
In the field, he is one of the best putting together 23 assists from the outfield in six seasons, giving him an average of almost four per season. He also has a near-perfect fielding percentage that sits at .989 going into the 2024 season.
Soto adds a lot on both sides of the ball, something that Boston severely needs going into the 2024 season and something that will definitely make him stick out as a player to be feared, but the question is, will these pros outweigh the cons.
Negatives of Red Sox adding Juan Soto
Adding Soto your lineup is a negative? Usually those two don't add up in the same sentence, but in the case of the Red Sox, unfortunately, it could.
Con No. 1 - If the Red Sox were to trade for him and extend him, it could cost them any chance at Ohtani
With Boston's top goal being pitching in the off-season and with Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated reporting the Red Sox being a real player in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, acquiring Soto and extending him, could cost them any chance at getting perhaps the best player baseball has ever seen.
While Ohtani would be used exclusively as a designated hitter in his first year in Boston, once he is recovered from UCL surgery, he could become one of the most valuable pitchers on the staff and make the Red Sox lineup extremely dangerous.
While Soto is a free agent following the 2024 season, he will most likely be looking to stay with whoever he gets moved to for an extended period, and that could very well cost them a lot of money, thereby taking them out of the running for Ohtani.
Con No. 2 - It would take a haul to get pry him from the Padres
Chances are good that the Padres are going to be looking for prospects in return for Soto, much like the ones they had to give up to get him and I'm not talking about middling prospects like
Chase Meidroth, Ryan Zeferjahn or Grant Gambrell.
They are most likely going to be looking for players like Roman Anthony, Ceddane Rafaela, Brayan Bello, or, for all we know, Kyle Teel. None of whom should be traded.
Now, if San Diego were to take one of them, maybe Verdugo, and another name not mentioned yet, then it may be worth it. Possibly give them some major league-ready talent in Bobby Dalbec. Dalbec has shown he has promise, but has not had the room in Boston to shine.
Overall conclusion: Talk to Soto and see if he'll commit to Boston, then see what the terms will be
It's no secret that Soto is most likely going to be moved this off-season, it's just a matter of the Padres finding the best trade partner. Some outlets are saying the New York Yankees, some are saying the Los Angeles Dodgers, but I'm saying the Red Sox.
The best course of action from here is to try talking to Soto and his agent and seeing if he just wants a change of scenery or a place to call home.
If it's the latter, it's time call up San Diego's front office and see what they want for him. If it's the former, Boston should be inclined to give them what they want considering he will likley be a rental for the 2024 season.
More Red Sox news and views
manual