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As the race for New York Yankees free agent Juan Soto continues to heat up, another team out of the American League East is reportedly seen as a potential suitor for the star.
Per Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post, the Boston Red Sox are “seen as a legitimate contender” to land the 26-year-old.
“The Red Sox are increasingly seen as a legitimate contender in the sweepstakes for the generational slugger as word is they are stepping up efforts to lure the superstar hitter away from their historic AL East nemesis,” they wrote.
According to Heyman and Sanchez, the Red Sox are attempting to “sell Soto on his fit in Boston” both within Fenway Park and within the context of the franchise’s history.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and the team “also stressed its rich history with star players from the Dominican Republic” during a meeting with Soto and agent Scott Boras two weeks ago.
Heyman and Sanchez noted that executives involved in the bidding expect offers to “eventually reach or exceed $600 million.”
Boston, which has just one postseason appearance since its World Series victory in 2018, is searching for a franchise-changing player after several years of mediocrity, and Soto could be the player it is looking for.
In his first year with the Yankees, Soto had a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI along with a .288 batting average and .989 OPS, which was the third-best in the majors.
Given it was another outstanding season for Soto, the Red Sox will have plenty of competition in free agency. Along with Boston and the Yankees, Soto has reportedly received offers from the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.
As free agency continues, he’ll likely see more teams put in their bids and his price continue to rise.
