Sam Kennedy confirms Red Sox’ interest in Juan Soto, willingness to spend this offseason
"The goal is to win 90-plus games to not be worrying about a wild-card spot.”
If the Red Sox want to get superstar outfielder Juan Soto to sign on the dotted line this winter, Boston might need to dole out a contract over $600 million.
But even with Rafael Devers’ $331 million contract extension already on the books, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed to Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe Wednesday that the team has no qualms with adding another megadeal — especially if it lands a franchise talent like Soto.
“Is that possible? If that’s what it takes, yeah, absolutely,” Kennedy told Silverman at the MLB owners meetings. “We are investing more than we did last year. We intend to invest going forward.
“There is an extreme urgency internally to be competing for the American League East Championship and to set ourselves up for a deep postseason run in 2025 without question. The goal is to win 90 plus games to not be worrying about a wild-card spot.”
Kennedy confirmed reports from last week that the Red Sox met with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, in California as the 26-year-old slugger’s sweepstakes begins in earnest.
“I’m not allowed to talk about the player but it’s going to be that person’s decision,” Kennedy said in reference to Soto.
Even if the Red Sox come up short in the bidding for Soto against other teams with deep pockets like the Yankees or Mets, Kennedy stressed that Boston’s willingness to spend will not revolve around Soto’s decision.
After missing the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, Kennedy stressed that Boston has the urgency in place now to add to an emerging core of young talent, “even if it takes us over the CBT” moving forward.
The first threshold of the competitive balance tax instituted in MLB is set at $241 million.
“Look, we have to add, and that’s what we’re trying to do, but I think we’re in a good position to add right now,” Kennedy said. “We need more pitching, front of the rotation guys and bullpen. We feel good about our positional core, we really do. A high priority is pitching but everything and anything’s on the table for us — free agency, trades, promotions from the minor leagues.”
Boston’s lack of postseason appearances as of late might make them a less appealing destination when measured against other aggressive offseason clubs like the Yankees or Mets.
But Kennedy believes that the Red Sox’ outlook is improving, especially with more talent arriving in the coming years by way of a stacked prospect pipeline.
“In our free agency discussions so far, there has been, I would say, a very strong feeling from agents and players that the Boston Red Sox are going to be a force over the next five to seven years, given the guys who have already emerged at the big league level and the guys who are coming from the Triple A and levels below that level,” Kennedy added.
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