While the Red Sox emerged as unexpected contenders for the services of free agent Juan Soto, the slugger won’t be taking his talents to Boston.
Major league sources confirmed that the 26-year-old superstar agreed to terms with the Mets on a landmark 15-year deal worth $765 million, a deal that is the largest in the history of professional sports. The deal has no deferrals. Soto’s decision to play for the Mets left his other suitors — known to include the Yankees, Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Red Sox — looking for alternate paths to upgrade.
The Red Sox’ involvement in the Soto sweepstakes came as a surprise. Though Sox officials vowed at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign that it was time to move aggressively with the goal of winning the American League East and competing for titles, the team’s clearest needs were to add a front-of-the-rotation starter, rebuild the bullpen, and add righthanded balance to the lineup. Soto would have accomplished none of those things.
Still, Soto — whose deal will not become official until he passes a physical — represented such a rare free agent that the Sox made what industry sources characterized as a significant push to try to land him.
A delegation of team officials — chairman Tom Werner, president/CEO Sam Kennedy, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and manager Alex Cora — met with Soto and agent Scott Boras on Nov. 14. Other team dignitaries, notably including David Ortiz, also made the case for Soto to join the team. And the Sox remained in the middle of a historic bidding war.
According to multiple league sources, the team’s bidding surpassed $600 million last week. In recent days, according to one source, the team continued to up its offer to remain in the bidding at roughly $700 million — more than the $660 million the team’s owners paid when buying the Sox and 80 percent of NESN in 2001
About The Author
