Why the Red Sox should sign Juan Soto when he is a free agent
Why the Red Sox should sign Juan Soto when he is a free agent
The Red Sox flexed their financial muscles, and the years of charging the most expensive ticket prices in baseball have finally paid off. Cue Jeff Passan.
“BREAKING: The Boston Red Sox and Juan Soto are in agreement on a 13-year, $505 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The 26-year-old phenom bets on himself and wins, while the Red Sox add a perennial MVP candidate.”
Wake up. It’s 2022, and Soto is still two years removed from free agency. It’s all just wishful thinking. In reality, the Red Sox’ chances of acquiring the generational hitter while possible, probably unlikely. Every team will be interested in a 26-year-old with stats rivaling Ted Williams, and Soto will be paid as such. If it weren’t for the two-way anomaly Shohei Ohtani (a free agent after this year), Soto would likely garner the largest contract in American sports history, barring an injury or improbable decline.
The mega-market Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, and Mets are regarded as favorites, and those teams have shown no reluctance to give out the type of gigantic contracts Soto is surely aiming for. However, the Red Sox financial state and roster configuration fit what Soto brings to the table, and there is good reason to believe that the Red Sox could make a play for the current San Diego Padre.
Since debuting with the Washington Nationals in 2018 at just 19 years old, all Soto has done is hit 125 homers, win three Silver Sluggers, and post a career 157 OPS+. The Dominican Republic native combines elite power and contact with having arguably the best plate discipline in the sport, hence his league-leading 429 walks since 2019. In 2022, Soto was dealt to the Padres in a historic deal after turning down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer by the Nationals. Despite his production dipping slightly in his half-season in San Diego, Soto still posted a 130 OPS+ and had a BB/K ratio of 44/34 during his two months at Petco Park.
For a Red Sox team that has struggled to develop outfielders since the departure of Mookie Betts, Soto is an obvious fit. The Red Sox have just about $100 million on the payroll for the 2025 season, and with a weak 2023-2024 free agency class it seems unlikely that they will make any major long-term commitments in that time. The payroll isn’t an issue, it’s just a matter of if John Henry & Co. are willing to shell out a cool half-billion. The reactionary nature of this ownership, who signed Rafael Devers to a massive extension just days after being booed at the Winter Classic, makes it possible that if the Red Sox were to fizzle out of contention these next couple of years the fan outrage could push the ownership into an all-in win-now mode.
Suggesting that the Red Sox could go and make a play on a monster free agent does not align with any of the moves the team has made since giving David Price a seven-year, $217 million deal in December 2015. Chaim Bloom’s largest external free agent contract was a $140 million commitment to Trevor Story, and another middle-of-the-pack year could put his job in jeopardy.
As the team’s World Series drought approaches its fifth season, fans and owners alike seem adamant about bringing this team back to being a contender. Acquiring a bonafide stud in Juan Soto would not only put the Red Sox in a position to contend in the crowded AL East and beyond but would do miracles for fanbase morale. Logically, it makes sense and should be realistic.
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