Red Sox need to take care of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers before trading for Juan Soto
Washington Nationals All-Star superstar outfielder Juan Soto is available on the trade market. Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nationals, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The Nationals are now expected to trade Soto and could be as soon as this year’s trade deadline.
Soto who will become a free agent at his age 26 season will likely seek a massive deal of more than $500 million. Any team who acquires the slugger will have him under control for this season and two more.
The question is what team will pay the Nationals a kings ransom for Soto? Will that team be the Boston Red Sox?
The idea of Soto in Boston is tantalizing, he would effectively solve the team’s right field situation. He would be the next big superstar for the Red Sox but in the process it will come at a price.
The Red Sox currently have two of their own superstars they need to address contract extensions with. Xander Bogaerts is expected to opt-out of his contract at the end of the season making him a free agent.
Rafael Devers will become a free agent at the end of next season.
The likelihood that Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will trade prospects to land Soto while having two major pieces of his roster as impending free agents is highly unlikely.
If the Red Sox feel that Soto is part of their future and want to make a trade now, would they consider sending Bogaerts and others to the Nationals?
In my opinion, unlikely.
Soto is having a down year hitting .247 with 19 homers, 42 RBIs and has a .895 OPS. He would still be a massive upgrade over Christian Arroyo and Jackie Bradley Jr.
The Red Sox have the prospects to make a deal for the superstar outfielder. The Nationals will be looking to replenish their depleted farm system. Bloom has the prospects to make a massive franchise altering deal, but with so many impending free agents coming up, trading these players doesn't seem like a smart decision.
If you are unfamiliar with the Herschel Walker trade, it was the largest deal in NFL history. The Dallas Cowboys traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a haul. In the process that trade helped the Cowboys land the likes of Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson and Russell Maryland in the draft.
Thee moral of the story, the team who landed Walker, landed a superstar but the Cowboys went on to win Super Bowls and the Vikings were irrelevant.
The Red Sox need to focus on Bogaerts and Devers before Soto. Whoever is going to land Soto will pay through the nose and it will be a franchise altering decision for both clubs.
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