The Boston Red Sox are deeper in the Juan Soto sweepstakes than even the most optimistic fans imagined.
The Sox and Soto had a "productive" three-hour meeting on Nov. 14 and the organization sees him as a generational talent. The 26-year-old outfielder reinforced that stance with an outstanding walk year in the Yankees organization, during which he slashed .288/.419/.569 with a .988 OPS and a career-high 41 homers.
Boston has been surprisingly involved in Soto's market, but months of the offseason remain before he is expected to decide on his future team — things could change for the Red Sox at any moment. But a unique circumstance could make Soto more likely to want to play in Boston.
In a recent installment of the "Section 10" podcast, host Jared Carrabis dissects some of Soto's reported priorities for his signing destination. His "baseball source" stated that it's important for Soto to be "the man" wherever he plays, which could give the Red Sox an unexpected advantage in the hunt for the slugger.
If Juan Soto signs with Red Sox, he could take the 'face of the franchise' title from Rafael Devers
Jared: Has your Juan Soto-Red Sox likelihood percentage gone up at all?
— Section 10 Podcast (@Section10Pod) November 15, 2024
Source: Yes.
Jared: Are we approaching double digits yet with that percentage?
Source: Yes.
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Boston has recently been criticized by reporters and fans alike for its lack of star power. Red Sox skipper Alex Cora has named Rafael Devers "the face of the franchise" on multiple occasions, and although the third baseman is worthy of the title, he doesn't appreciate the extra attention that comes with it.
If Carrabis' source's statement is correct, Soto would be more than happy to absorb the "face of the franchise" label from Devers if he signs with Boston. Soto also grew up a Red Sox fan and idolized David Ortiz, Pedro Martínez and Manny Ramírez, and being the star of his former favorite team could mean a great deal.
The going expectation for Soto's signing destination is that he'll go to the highest bidder. Most reporters and experts predict that it'll be one of the two New York squads, and the Red Sox's recent offseason performances don't inspire confidence in the spending department. But as long as Aaron Judge is on the Yankees' roster, they can't promise Soto the level of superstardom he allegedly seeks in his future team. It could be argued he'd overtake Francisco Lindor with the Mets, and the two players are reportedly very close, but he and Devers could potentially be a more dynamic, deadly duo.