Boston Red Sox fans have pleaded with their favorite team's ownership to return to spending on big free agents as it did in the first many years since the Curse of the Bambino was broken.
On Nov. 12, a report gave Red Sox Nation its first offseason glimmer of hope in a long time. MLB insider Jeff Passan reported Boston will meet with superstar free agent Juan Soto this week.
Red Sox fans have been conditioned not to take rumors around Boston's interests seriously — multiple unimpressive free agent offers have led the Red Sox to be outbid for the market's best talent in the past few offseasons. But Passan reports Soto is at "the top of want list," and it's been aggressive in pursuing the outfielder.
Soto is a generational talent who can slug for extra bases and get on base at an astronomical clip. His .421 career on-base percentage would help the strikeout-heavy Red Sox better use their three outs in each inning he bats. Soto also mashed a career-high 41 homers in his walk year with the Yankees. He could use Fenway Park's short right field to his advantage as he did at Yankee Stadium.
The Red Sox will meet with Juan Soto and have been aggressive in their pursuit of the outfielder, per MLB insider Jeff Passan
The Toronto Blue Jays have the first meeting this week. The Boston Red Sox are next. Then the New York Mets. And the New York Yankees. The Juan Soto sweepstakes is heating up.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 12, 2024
At ESPN+, my ultimate offseason preview, on Soto and all of MLB free agency: https://t.co/5ZXqtrQUrB
The Red Sox's interest in Soto reflects a return to the status quo for the ballclub. Until 2019, Boston was a reliable competitor for top free agents, but something changed in ownership's spending plan after the team's commanding 2018 season and World Series win.
The Sox's aggressiveness in Soto's market also suggests a rival of a real rivalry with the Yankees. The going perception among reporters is that the 26-year-old will sign with either the Yankees or the Mets for the rest of his career. The squad from the Bronx may have a slight advantage due to Soto's existing bond with the players he just competed for a World Series with, but Mets owner Steve Cohen's seemingly unlimited financial resources drive a hard bargain.
It'd be the story of the offseason if the Red Sox swooped into Soto's market and stole him from the Yankees after his postseason heroics with the team. John Henry and Fenway Sports Group have plenty of money to do it, and Soto is certainly a worthy investment. He would bring power and an unmatched on-base percentage to Boston's outfield for years. Soto, Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran would be a deadly combination for opposing pitchers at the top of the Sox's batting order.
Soto would quickly bring the Red Sox out of irrelevance and into playoff contention. And it'd feel great to steal him from New York.