The Boston Red Sox are a significant player in the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes. While they have not spent since the Mookie Betts trade, they are throwing their hat in the Soto ring. David Ortiz has gone public to try and lure the outfielder to his former team. A report from Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post indicated that Boston is using Ortiz as an example of why Soto should play his home games at Fenway Park.
“In Boston, the club’s best hitters have historically been left-handed (Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and David Ortiz), and lazy opposite-field fly balls from Soto could become doubles that bang off the Green Monster,” Heyman and Sanchez reported.
Comparing Soto to the three greatest lefty hitters in Red Sox history is a great start to lure him in. The free agency push involves some of the most storied franchises in baseball, including Boston. Other teams could pull this move but it is hard to top Williams, Yastrzemski, and Ortiz as all-time hitters.
The main issue preventing the Red Sox from signing Juan Soto in free agency is their current roster. While he makes every team better, they have not made the playoffs in three years. Can he make them a World Series contender?
Can Juan Soto revive the Red Sox?
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The Red Sox have not signed a significant free agent since David Price in 2016. While they do have Rafael Devers on a $313.5 million contract, that was an extension and Soto's deal will likely be worth twice that. Only the Dodgers have signed a deal worth more than the Soto projections with Shohei Ohtani's $700 million deal.
The Red Sox need to spend around Juan Soto to become a World Series contender. That is the inherent issue with the outfielder signing in Boston. The starting pitching needs a facelift, the bullpen was poor last year, and they need a new catcher. Soto is an amazing player but he cannot fix all of the problems with the 2024 Red Sox.
Soto and his agent Scott Boras have fielded offers from five teams after taking meetings in California. The Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Dodgers all submitted contracts for review. Barring an unexpected turn, Soto will be headed to one of those five times. While there is still time to go before he makes a decision, each of these fanbases is preparing to welcome him to their city.
