At their year-end press conference in late September, members of Red Sox leadership said the wait had gone on long enough, and it was time to get back in the game.
It was a significant statement of intent compared to recent quiet offseasons, but after “full throttle”-gate last year, team president and CEO Sam Kennedy acknowledged that the club needed to back up their words with meaningful action.
Their new travel plans indicate that they’re serious about following through. According to MLB insiders Jeff Passan (ESPN) and Jon Heyman (New York Post), the Red Sox are among the teams meeting with free-agent superstar Juan Soto and his powerhouse agent, Scott Boras, in southern California this week. (Boras’ office is in Newport Beach.)
New York is still considered Soto’s most likely landing spot. The Yankees, who acquired his final year of club control from the Padres last offseason, and Mets are both have meetings on Soto’s schedule; Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed his team would be making a trip out west. Soto’s dance card also includes the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, and two “mystery teams.” The Jays could be the dark horse that overtakes both New York clubs; they’re trying to land a big star after falling to the Dodgers in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes last winter.
Red Sox 2024-25 Offseason Tracker: Options, qualifying offers, arbitration, free agents, rumors
Unlike the Rays, another interested party, the Red Sox can afford to sign Soto, who’s projected to sign for upwards of $600 million over a minimum of 10 years. It would be the largest non-deferred deal in MLB history by far, but thanks to several scrimpy seasons, the Red Sox have more than enough financial flexibility in the immediate and distant future to accommodate such a large contract. Since winning the 2018 World Series, they’ve only committed to two free-agent contracts in excess of $50 million, Trevor Story (2022) and Masataka Yoshida (2023).
It would, however, be close to or more than triple the largest free-agent spend in franchise history – David Price’s $217 million over seven years – and nearly double the price tag on Rafael Devers’ franchise-record $313.5MM deal.
Yet while the Red Sox’s effort with Soto signals a promising return to form for the club, they’re more likely to spend big on a marquee starting pitcher, a more pressing need. They have an abundance of young outfield talent on their Major League roster in Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Ceddanne Rafaela, as well as Roman Anthony, the No. 1 overall prospect in the game, in Triple-A.
You can find every Red Sox offseason update on the Boston Herald’s 2024-25 live tracker!
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