Jeff Passan says Red Sox ‘still in it’ for Juan Soto, slugger’s decision could come this weekend
“The expectation is that there will be meetings over the weekend and it’s at that point Juan Soto will decide where he’s going to go.”
The Juan Soto free agency saga is reportedly nearing a close.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan said on SportsCenter Wednesday that the 26-year-old slugger could decide what team he will sign with this weekend. Passan reported that the final five teams in the mix will meet with Soto over the weekend, perhaps for the final time.
“… at this point, we don’t know who the favorites are. The New York Mets have been near the top the whole time. The Yankees, of course, the incumbent team. The Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are all still in it,” Passan said. “The expectation is that there will be meetings over the weekend and it’s at that point Juan Soto will decide where he’s going to go and we will know, at latest, by the time the Winter Meetings in Dallas start.”
By all reports, the Red Sox have remained a legitimate contender in the Soto sweepstakes this offseason. The organization emerged as a team of interest early on and has kept a seat at the negotiating table the entire way.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that “all remaining contenders” have submitted offers above $600 million for Soto, including Boston.
Soto’s agent Scott Boras also said on Tuesday that their party has “begun the process of eliminating teams,” but a decision is not imminent. Passan did not reference Boras’s quote.
In Passan’s television report, he said that the contract total could reach $700 million.
“… the final number is going to be at least $600 million over a double-digit figure number of years. Now, the question is, how high can that go?” Passan said. “If teams are willing to go to, say, 15 years, which they might be able to because Juan Soto is only 26, we could see a contract, potentially, in excess of $700 million. Now remember, Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal last offseason set the standard.”
Given the Red Sox’ reluctance to spend big and exceed the luxury tax threshold in recent years, it’s a good sign that the team has reportedly offered a fair and competitive deal to a generation player in Soto. President Sam Kennedy did say last month that Boston intends to open up its wallet and significantly improve the roster come next season, a change in tone from years past.
Compared to the rest of Soto’s suitors in the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees, the Red Sox are perhaps on the lower end of the tier in terms of appeal, given their record since 2018. But if the organization can give Soto the money he wants, promise that he will be the face of the franchise for the entirety of his deal, and allow him to become one of the club’s most legendary Dominican players alongside David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez, Boston may very well have just as good of a shot at landing him.
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