MLB Insider: Red Sox among six teams expected to back Soto originally appeared on Sport NBC Boston
COME the best free agent on the marketJuan Soto is expected to win a landmark contract worth around $600 million. You might think this figure would immediately disqualify the Boston Red Sox, who have been reluctant to spend in recent seasons, but one MLB expert says that’s not the case.
During a recent live chat for Bleacher ReportJon Heyman of the New York Post named the Red Sox as one of six teams he expects to participate in the Soto Sweepstakes.
“I’ll put the Red Sox there,” Heyman said. “I understand they didn’t spend… I hope the Red Sox are in it. They’ve been a little quiet and I’ve heard a lot about it, but I think the Red Sox will be in it. They are one of the six teams that I think will be in…
“Mets, Yankees, Giants, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Dodgers. I think there are half a dozen teams. I heard there is a small transfer team, we’ll call it the mystery team for now. Is it likely? What’s going to happen? It’s very unlikely.”
Heyman adds that pessimistic Red Sox fans weren’t happy your previous relationship, which identified Boston as one of Soto’s possible suitors. That’s no surprise considering how the front office has approached the past few offseasons. The club hasn’t been willing to make any big changes, so why should fans believe it will suddenly make a serious effort to sign one of the most expensive free agents in MLB history?
That said, signing Soto would help restore fan confidence in the Red Sox ownership group’s desire to win. I would be give Boston top talent and star power has been missing since the departure of Mookie Betts in 2020. The four-time All-Star outfielder is just entering his prime, coming off a stellar season in which he hit 41 home runs with a 989 average for arch-rival New York. York Yankees.
Whether it’s Soto or other top free agents, the Red Sox must dedicate this offseason to regaining their reputation as a contender in the American League. They have missed the playoffs three straight years and five of the last six seasons.
While right-handed pitching and hitting are his priorities, the opportunity to sign a generational star like Soto should trump anything else on Boston’s offseason to-do list.
