Many reporters and insiders predict Juan Soto will sign the megadeal he's been searching for around the time of Winter Meetings, which run from Dec. 9-12 this year.
Teams may be running out of time to make an impact in the Soto sweepstakes, and the Boston Red Sox have been surprisingly involved in his market. A recent report from Randy Miller of NJ.com suggests Boston could even be a favorite to land the slugging outfielder.
"The Red Sox have emerged as a favorite — maybe THE favorite — to land Yankees free agent Juan Soto, two people with knowledge of the contract negotiations told NJ Advance Media," Miller reported on Dec. 2.
Additional reports have also emerged that the Soto chase has reached the "final offer" stage. Bidding for the star has reached the $600 million mark, and the Red Sox still remain among the contenders for Soto's signature.
Juan Soto offers reach $600 million, Red Sox still remain in contention, per multiple reports
According to reports, the Mets and Red Sox are the most likely landing spots for free agent Juan Soto. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/wYCzsNUzp9
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 2, 2024
Both updates sound great for the Red Sox, but everything must be taken with a grain of salt in such an intense free agent race. All leaked information is probably out for a strategic reason, and no one is looking out for the Red Sox — or any other club, for that matter — except themselves.
Boston could be a real frontrunner, or it could be being used as leverage. The Red Sox haven't matched up with big market teams' spending on top free agents since at least 2019, and losing out to a newly cheap team could be embarrassing for the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers, especially with a generational talent such as Soto.
Miller's report could mean the Red Sox are finally ready to spend again, or it could be preparing fans for much of the same thing they've seen in recent offseasons — Boston could make a huge offer but be less favorable in players' eyes because of its recent spending track record or three consecutive playoff misses. All parties have their best interests in mind in these megadeal negotiations, and the public won't know where the Red Sox really stand until Soto signs a contract.