Over the past five MLB seasons, Boston Red Sox fans have become discouraged with the club's ownership.
Multiple unimpressive, inexpensive offseasons in a row have caused other clubs to discount the Red Sox in the hotly competitive American League East. But a Boston legend has given its desperate fans a glimmer of hope.
On a recent installment of Bleacher Report's "Walk Off" livestream hosted by Steve Perrault, Pedro Martinez thrilled Red Sox Nation with his one, bold offseason prediction — the Red Sox will sign Juan Soto this offseason.
"He would be very welcome into Boston, the kind of bat and power that we need just in case it doesn't work out with the Yankees, which I think it will," Martinez said. "But. . . New England would go cuckoo bananas. I'll be jumping on top of the dugout."
Pedro Martinez's bold offseason prediction that the Red Sox will sign Juan Soto is the hope Boston fans need
Martinez left room for doubt and made sure to mention the Yankees, who experts believe have the best shot at signing Soto, especially after his World Series appearance with the club. But Red Sox fans would all have the same reaction as Martinez if they were to snag Soto from their bitter rivals.
Soto batted .288/.419/.569 with a .988 OPS over 157 games with New York. He posted 31 doubles, four triples, a career-high 41 homers, 109 RBI and 129 walks. Soto gets on base at an astronomical clip and boasts the league's best walk rate and a strikeout rate in the upper quartile among all players — he could help slash Boston's high strikeout count from last season on his own.
May we once again re-introduce, The Generational, Juan Soto. pic.twitter.com/6R5fWpEg6I
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 20, 2024
Soto wouldn't be a defensive upgrade in the Sox's outfield, despite his 2024 Gold Glove nomination, but it wouldn't matter. An additional 20-30 homers and his .421 career on-base percentage make his defense a non-factor.
Martinez predicts Soto will land a contract in the $600 million range, which would be one of the most expensive deals in MLB history. The Red Sox haven't shown any inclination to spend anything close to that amount of money in recent offseasons, but a deal with Soto could set Boston up for success for over a decade.
"I expect him to get paid, so the Yankees better get ready. If not, someone else will," Martinez said.
It probably won't be John Henry, but if the Yankees whiff on Soto or he decides he doesn't want to play in New York, Martinez will be among the millions of Red Sox fans willing him to open up his checkbook.