Red Sox lose out on Juan Soto to record-setting deal from Mets; where do they pivot next?
The Mets were the favorites to land outfielder Juan Soto, and owner Steve Cohen wouldn’t be denied in acquiring the generational superstar.
Soto is heading to Queens and will play for the Mets on a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract, as first reported by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Red Sox reportedly offered Soto a 15-year, $700 million deal but learned over the weekend that they’d fall short. According to MassLive’s Sean McAdam, the Red Sox's pursuit of Soto was considered an “A+ effort” and “an all-hands-on-deck” approach.
With Soto a member of the Mets, the Red Sox need to pivot and quickly. Boston has been connected to Astros free agent infielder Alex Bregman and outfielders Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander.
The hunt for a right-handed bat is a priority for the Red Sox with losing Tyler O’Neill to the Orioles over the weekend. Hernández makes the most sense from a free agent perspective. The slugger has repeatedly said he enjoys playing at Fenway Park for its dimensions, the energy from the fanbase, and its long history.
"Everything about that field is good," Hernández said to Rob Bradford on his “Baseball Isn't Boring” podcast before Game 4 of the Fall Classic. "And I don’t think it’s only me. I’m not the player who is saying that about Fenway. The atmosphere over there is really good. The fans love the team. They go to the ballpark. And they support the team. For me, that’s a big thing when you have a good fan base. But it’s been great here. Fans love this team. They go everywhere, and they support their players. It’s going to be a little hard for me in the next free agency. It’s going to be fun, and obviously I’m going to try and make the best decision for me and my family."
The Dodgers will certainly try to bring the power hitter back after he hit 33 homers with a .840 OPS in 154 games. For Hernandez, he will keep all options open this winter and do what’s best for him and his family.
"It’s going to be the same,” said Hernández. “Obviously, I’m going to try to go wherever I think is best for me and my family. And, obviously, where I can get a big chance to win. For me, winning is the priority. Obviously, I want a good contract and all of that, but winning is everything for me."
Santander, 30, would give Boston a switch-hitting option at the plate that belted 44 homers and knocked in 102 runs this past season. His platoon splits weren’t exactly strong, but his power potential to slot in the lineup makes plenty of sense for the Red Sox. As a righty against lefties, he hit .239/.309/.513 in 2024 for a 132 wRC+. Against righties, he hit .225/.306/.488 for a 123 wRC+. For his career, he has a 111 wRC+ against lefties and 116 against righties, per FanGraphs.
Adding Santander would give the Red Sox an outfield that includes Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu. There’s been speculation Boston could move Abreu in a deal to acquire pitching.
Bregman checks off the box for the right-handed bat as well and helps create balance within their lineup. Bradford reported on Monday morning that Bregman could be “one of the players the Red Sox might immediately be prioritizing.” He later added to his report while on the WEEI radio.
"I think what they are focused on is Alex Bregman, and I wouldn't have said that 24 hours ago... It checks off a lot of boxes... From what I hear, this is a very, very real thing," Bradford said on WEEI's Jones & Keefe midday radio show.
The free agent third baseman is a two-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove last season. He batted .260 with a .315 on-base percentage, a .453 slugging percentage, a .768 OPS, 26 home runs, 30 doubles, two triples, 75 RBI, and 79 runs in 145 games.
Bregman will turn 31 in March and is tied to a qualifying offer, meaning the Red Sox will surrender draft compensation. They’ll get a pick back if free agent pitcher Nick Pivetta signs with another team in the coming days or weeks.
McAdam has written this offseason the Red Sox could move Rafael Devers off third base and over to first base. In that case, it would mean that Triston Casas would be traded to create that vacancy. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported over the weekend that Boston is open to moving Casas for pitching. Bregman could slide over to second base next season creating a double play combination with Trevor Story and greatly improving their defense.
Boston drafted Bregman in 2012 in the 29th round, but he opted to go to LSU and then was later drafted by the Astros second overall in 2015. Red Sox skipper Alex Cora was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 and has a connection to the third baseman.
