Juan Soto is expected to sign his impending megadeal around the time of MLB's Winter Meetings, which run from Dec. 9-12.
The Boston Red Sox are reportedly still in the running for Soto's services as the race comes down to the wire. But the latest update on their involvement suggests they may not be favorites.
Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported on Dec. 5 that the Red Sox seek another meeting with Soto to inquire about the price it'd take to get him to sign with Boston. There has been no confirmation whether or not the Red Sox organization has been granted the additional meeting.
Speier writes that the Mets are the biggest threat in the Soto market, as most experts predicted. Team owner Steve Cohen is the wealthiest in MLB, and he allegedly told Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, that he'd beat any competing team's best offer by $50 million. However, that is also not confirmed.
The Red Sox have requested an additional meeting with Juan Soto
An update on the status of Red Sox negotiations with Juan Soto - and how the team’s pursuit of Soto represents an effort to do something they haven’t been able to accomplish in at least the last couple of decades https://t.co/qLSkKDHs48
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 5, 2024
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the team doesn't intend to imperil the rest of its offseason plans by banking on signing Soto. Boston has plenty of backup plans to improve, like signing or trading for elite starting pitching or other outfield options. But Soto is a more consistent hitter than anyone currently on the team, and he would be this offseason's fastest path to a significant offensive upgrade.
The need for an additional meeting with Soto may not bode well for Boston's chances of signing the slugger — it seems to be going for a last-minute offer boost as a desperation move. But this level of investment is more than Red Sox fans have seen from the front office in years. If the Sox lose out on Soto and one of the largest contracts of all time, they should have no problem signing multiple, less expensive players, like some aces, for example, to better the team in different ways.