Red Sox reportedly among teams expected to ‘check in’ on Juan Soto at start of free agency
Soto, 26, said he is "going to be available" to talk with all 30 teams this offseason after a strong year with the Yankees.
Red Sox’ interest in Juan Soto: The Red Sox could enter the sweepstakes for the top free agent in all of baseball this offseason.
Boston is among the handful of teams that are expected to “check in” on Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto this offseason, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported. Eleven teams had reached out to Soto’s representation by Thursday morning as teams were allowed to contact free agents once the World Series ended, Heyman added.
Soto, 26, was acquired by the Yankees last offseason and had a great season in The Bronx, hitting .288 with a career-high 41 home runs. As he helped the Yankees reach the World Series before falling to the Dodgers in five games, Soto told reporters that he’s enjoyed his time in New York. However, he made it clear he’s open for business as he heads into free agency for the first time in his career.
“I don’t know the teams that want to come after me,” Soto told reporters on Wednesday night. “But definitely, I’ll be open to listening to every single team. I don’t have any doors closed, or anything like that. I’m going to be available for all 30 teams.”
With Soto declaring that he’ll listen to everyone interested, the chase to sign him might be the priciest in baseball history. The magic number to sign Soto is believed to be around $700 million, according to Heyman. If Soto gets a $700 million contract, that would match the largest contract signed in MLB history. Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason. Unlike Ohtani, though, Heyman noted that Soto likely won’t ask to receive the vast majority of his contract in deferred payments. Additionally, Soto might command a 14-year deal, Heyman reported.
As the Soto sweepstakes are expected to be pricey, the usual candidates have been speculated as the frontrunners on who’ll sign him. The Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers are each among the early suitors to land Soto, according to multiple reports.
The Red Sox don’t necessarily have a pressing need to add another left-handed hitting outfielder to the mix. In fact, they might be looking to offload such a player this offseason. Left-handed hitters Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu were everyday outfielders for the Red Sox last season, with each having strong seasons at the plate. Left-handed hitting outfielder Roman Anthony, who’s widely considered to be one of the best prospects in baseball, is expected to make his major league debut within the next year, if not sooner, creating a bit of a logjam in the outfield.
Still, players of Soto’s caliber and age rarely become available in the open market. Signing Soto could also allow the Red Sox to offload one of the aforementioned outfielders in a trade to help fill another area of need, such as pitching.
Boston is viewed as an early long shot to sign Soto. There are actually betting odds on which team will sign Soto, with the Red Sox sitting at +1800 to land him at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Trivia: The Red Sox signed Rafael Devers to a $331 million extension in 2023 for the largest contract in team history. But what is the largest contract the Red Sox have ever handed out in free agency?
(Hint: It was a pitcher that signed the largest free-agent contract in team history.)
Results and schedule
The Bruins suffered their worst loss of the young season on Thursday, falling to the Hurricanes, 8-2. Boston is now 4-6-1 and sits in a tie for last place in the Atlantic Division.
The Celtics will take their turn to play a game in North Carolina on Friday. They’ll face the Hornets for the first game of a back-to-back. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. while Saturday’s game in Charlotte is set for 6 p.m.
Finally, the Patriots will look to win back-to-back games for the first time in two seasons when they travel to Nashville to face the Titans on Sunday. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m.
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The sports world celebrated Halloween
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama dressed as Kaonashi from “Spirited Away” ahead of the Spurs’ win over the Jazz.
Macaulay Culkin, meanwhile, dressed up as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for Halloween.
Daily highlight
The Jets ended their four-game losing skid on Thursday with the help of Garrett Wilson. New York’s standout wide receiver made an impressive one-handed touchdown grab in their 21-13 win over the Texans. The play was actually ruled an incomplete pass at first, with the reasoning being that Wilson didn’t land inbounds. But a review reversed the call, giving the Jets a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
On this day
The Bruins officially joined the NHL 100 years ago on Friday. They became the first American franchise in the league after grocery magnate Charles F. Adams, owner of First National Stores, was awarded a team on Nov. 1, 1924. They began play one month later, defeating the Montreal Maroons, 2-1. Boston will celebrate the anniversary of its 100th game on Dec. 1, when it hosts the Montreal Canadiens.
Trivia answer: David Price (seven-year, $217 million deal in the 2016 offseason).
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