David Ortiz is doing everything he can to bring Juan Soto to the Red Sox

The consistent drumbeat that this will be a different offseason for the Boston Red Sox has now reached a fever pitch with Juan Soto at the center of it. Boston was one of the first organizations, along with the rival Blue Jays, to get a meeting with Soto this offseason. It was reportedly a presentation that was "impressive" to the 26-year-old superstar free agent.

Soto is the headliner of the Red Sox plans this offseason, though not the only plan based on various reports. Given that every important Red Sox figure currently in the fold aside from John Henry was in attendance for this first meeting, that much is clear. However, it might be a Boston legend who wasn't at the meeting who is trying to put the right accouterments on a pitch to Soto, doing everything he can to get the slugger to Fenway Park.

That man, of course, is David Ortiz. And Big Papi has quite a sales pitch for Soto.

Rather than attending the meeting with Soto and (most likely) Scott Boras, Ortiz said he was with Soto's mom and brother as they live in the same building in an interview with WEEI. More important than that, though, he gave perhaps the best sales pitch yet for the superstar to come to the Red Sox.

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David Ortiz wants Juan Soto on the Red Sox so damn badly

We know that Soto wants to win, values being "the man" and wants to be paid. If John Henry and Sam Kennedy can take care of the latter, Big Papi's pitch would ensure that Soto sees the vision for the rest as he noted that the free agent and star third baseman Rafael Devers could be the new "Manny and Papi" for the Red Sox in this new era.

"If there was one player in baseball who could be the next David Ortiz in Boston, it is Juan Soto. He’s that good. He’s got great makeup."

More important that reforming the dynamic slugging duo of Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, a duo that helped guide Boston to two World Series rings in 2004 and 2007, the Red Sox legend further unpacked why Soto would be perfect as the leader in the clubhouse for this team.

"If there is a guy I would like to build a team around it would have to be Juan Soto. Juan Soto speaks Spanish and he speaks English so he can communicate with both American and Latin players. He has that good vibe. I tell you what, the Yankees went that far this year because of him. He changed everything for them there. When you have a top player doing the things that he does, everybody follows up. That’s what they did over there. At the end of the day, he has incredible makeup."

Don't underestimate the potential effects that this could have on the Red Sox's pursuit of Soto. Not only is he a Hall-of-Famer but he represents the Dominican pipeline we've seen thrive in Boston over the past two-plus decades. And Ortiz also being in with the Soto family certainly doesn't hurt as well.

At the heart of the pitch he gave to WEEI, though, it quite literally checks every box for what Soto is reportedly looking for. Being the new "Manny and Papi" with Devers is a forecast of World Series contention over a sustained period. His potential to ideally lead this locker room ensures the youngster would be the guy. It all adds up to the right recipe.

Red Sox fans, of course, are having a difficult time believing this is real after a half-decade of relative inaction from the Boston front office in the offseason. Soto would change that immediately, though. And while it's all conjecture and speculation until he signs on the dotted line, there are increasing reasons to be cautiously optimistic this could happen.