There were always reservations about the Boston Red Sox's pursuit of Juan Soto. Even before the bidding reached the $600 millions, fans and experts were certain Soto would end up with one of the largest contracts in MLB history, if not all time.
They were right, and the Red Sox appeared to be involved in his market until the final day. They began to realize on Sunday that the slugger was destined for one of the two New York teams. he signed with the Mets later that night. Still, reporters Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive called the mad dash for Soto "Boston’s most aggressive free agent pursuit in recent memory."
But, when it was all said and done, fans realized the Red Sox weren't that close to landing Soto. His 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets is the largest in sports history. The contract Boston offered him wouldn't have been.
The Sox came up short with a 15-year, $700 million final offer. It's more than the team has ever offered a single player, but still over $60 million shy of Soto's preferred deal. It's been reported Boston would've gone up to a 17-year timeframe, but the timeline isn't the biggest selling point of the deal.
The Red Sox's offer revealed they weren't that close to landing Juan Soto, but they're left with plenty of money for elite pitching
Red Sox bid to Soto was in the 15 year, $700M range per @Sean_McAdam. Our story: https://t.co/JiwtP2hzdT
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 9, 2024
The Red Sox came in under market value again despite having plenty of money to offer. However, rumors surfaced that Steve Cohen would be willing to beat any high offer by $50 million and that tracks based on the contract Soto accepted. It didn't seem to matter how much Boston offered, Cohen and the Mets would've bested the number.
Luckily for the Red Sox, they don't need bats as much as they need pitching. Sure, they missed out on Soto, but a $700 million offer shows the Sox are ready and willing to spend this winter for the first time in what feels like ages. They could get both Corbin Burnes and Max Fried for that price if they play their cards right.
Many fans expected Boston would whiff on Soto, but it showed the extent of the financial commitment it was ready to make with a $700 million, record-breaking offer. The Red Sox need to take that money straight to the pitching market to avoid another offseason of false hope for the jaded and fed-up fanbase.