A Red Sox-Juan Soto free agency offer to make sure Yankees get screwed
By Curt Bishop
The New York Yankees acquired Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres last offseason, and so far, he has been every bit as good as advertised for the Bronx Bombers.
Soto is hitting .309 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI, as well as a 1.009 OPS. He and Aaron Judge are both in the mix for the AL MVP Award.
Needless to say, he's going to be very expensive when the season comes to an end, as he is set to hit the free agent market. According to Jon Heyman, other teams don't exactly like their chances of being able to pluck Soto away from the Yankees.
But what if by some chance, the Boston Red Sox are able to steal him from their rivals this winter?
Could Red Sox steal Juan Soto from Yankees?
Obviously, it's going to take a major philosophy shift for the Red Sox to actually be able to have a chance at Soto. They would have to go back to their old ways of spending money on top players and setting their sights on the World Series. The Red Sox haven't exactly been willing to do that in recent years, which makes this unlikely. Soto would also have to be convinced that the Red Sox are trying to win.
But for argument's sake, let's assume that the Red Sox want in on the sweepstakes and choose to offer Soto a contract. What would it take for them to outbid their hated rivals?
Keep in mind that back in 2022, the Washington Nationals offered Soto a 15-year, $440 million deal that the slugger ultimately turned down, so it would have to be more than that, and likely north of $500 million.
An offer for 15 years and $600 million could potentially work and is a good place to start. Despite what Red Sox ownership tries to spin, they have plenty of financial resources and could pull something like this off. All it takes is a shift in their philosophy and the way they operate, unlikely as that may be.
But if the Red Sox were to offer Soto this type of contract, he might be willing to take it assuming that they're able to outbid the Yankees, as well as convince him that they're trying to win instead of staying mired in mediocrity.