7:54pm: There is currently no meeting scheduled between Soto and the Giants, tweets Jayson Stark of the Athletic.
11:10 am: The list of known teams who have upcoming meetings with Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras continues to grow. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that both the Blue Jays and Red Sox are set to meet with Soto and his representative this week. They’ll join Mets and Yankees in that regard. Passan adds that the Jays are “serious about adding a star” to the lineup alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Soto unsurprisingly tops their wishlist.
Similarly, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman paints the Jays as a legitimate contender in the Soto bidding. Toronto was famously willing to put forth the same offer that the Dodgers did to lure Shohei Ohtani to Los Angeles last winter, and Heyman adds that the Jays tried to trade for Soto last winter as well before the Yankees ultimately acquired him from the Padres. Both reports peg Toronto as a motivated buyer on the heels of a disastrous 2024 season that saw them finish in the AL East cellar.
From a payroll vantage point, the Jays should have a clear path to making a compelling offer. Jose Berrios and Yariel Rodriguez are the only players the Blue Jays have signed beyond the 2026 season — the latter never earning more than $8MM annually. RosterResource projects Toronto’s 2025 payroll at around $197MM at the moment — a good ways shy of last year’s franchise-record $225MM Opening Day mark. That projected number could drop even further with several non-tender/trade candidates still on the roster (e.g. Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano, Zach Pop). By 2026, the Blue Jays have under $75MM in guarantees on the books.
Toronto, of course, hopes to extend the aforementioned Guerrero and would need a massive offer to do so, but a long-term payroll ledger with Soto and Guerrero seems plenty doable given the lack of other commitments. Shortstop Bo Bichette could be another extension candidate, but he’s a tough case for a long-term deal after an injury-shortened season that included career-worst production at the plate. At the very least, it’s easy to see how the Blue Jays could make an aggressive push and competitive bid for Soto, as they did with Ohtani.
That’s generally true of the Red Sox as well, though their short-term books aren’t quite so clean. Rafael Devers, Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela are the only players signed truly long-term in Boston, but the Red Sox will still be paying Masataka Yoshida and Trevor Story notable salaries through the 2027 season at least. That said, the Sox have a much smaller arbitration class and don’t have the specter of a superstar’s potential departure hanging over them, as the Jays do with Guerrero. They’re projected for a payroll around $136MM in 2025 (again, via RosterResource) — modest relative to their franchise-record spending levels.
That said, the Red Sox have curbed spending in recent seasons. They did open the 2022 season with a $206MM payroll but have otherwise spent in the $170-180MM range since 2020. Back in 2018, when they last won a World Series, the Sox opened the season at $233MM. They followed with a $236MM in 2019 (both figures via Cot’s). Signing Soto would require a willingness to return to those 2018-19 levels — if not exceed them — but there are some signals the organization is willing to do just that.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been vocal about his intention of “deliver[ing] the team that’s capable of winning the AL East and making a deep playoff run,” adding that the Sox need to be willing to be big players in the free agent and trade markets in order to do so. Skeptics will call back to chairman Tom Werner’s regrettable and oft-mocked “full throttle” comments from an offseason ago, but Breslow has taken a more direct and repeated stance on his intent to be active in both markets.
The Sox have multiple areas they’ll need to target, however, as Breslow has also voiced his intent to “raise the ceiling” in the rotation. (They’ve also been linked to Max Fried, further lending credence to the idea that they’re willing to spend this winter.) Soto won’t accomplish that specific goal, nor will he help to balance out a heavily left-handed lineup (another of Breslow’s stated objectives), but that’s of little consequence. Free agents as young and impactful as Soto only come around every few decades; adding him to the lineup is an endeavor unique unto itself, and the rest of a team’s given goals can take a backseat to such a rare pursuit.
tigers182
Jon Heyman reporting Juan Soto is on his way to Toronto to sign the contract
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
I heard his latest report that Soto is in the GM’s office with the pen in his hand and about to sign.
Redsoxx_62
Vladdy has already reserved a restaurant to celebrate the signing
mlb fan
Vlad reserves a restaurant practically everyday just for lunch.
Fever Pitch Guy
Redsoxx – And Soto has requested a restaurant that offers a Senior Citizen discount.
depletion
I heard the pen is out of ink and Soto is having second thoughts.
El Kabong
Vladdy stole the pen and signed his name on the record contract.
thebirds
Right.. they are tracking his plane too.
Fever Pitch Guy
thebirds – If people are tracking which plane Soto gets on, it will be easy to distinguish which team provided the free travel …..if it’s the Red Sox, he’s flying Spirit.
sfes
No that’s Arson Soto
Dumpster Divin Theo
No that’s Anson Mount
cpdpoet
Completely underrated actor….
Dumpster Divin Theo
Outlasted Donnie Most
cpdpoet
Actually Anson Williams carved out a nice career on the other side of the camera..
As a genX Happy Days (and m*a*s*h) were THE 1/2 hr comedies for me.
Fever Pitch Guy
poet – I sat next to Ron Howard at a Jays game in Toronto many years ago when he was filming there. The baseball he signed is one of my most treasured autographs. With a hat on he still looked EXACTLY like Richie Cunningham!
Dumpster Divin Theo
Heard he’s like the nicest guy- great memory
920falcon
Remember when the Fonz fought Tom Hanks on Happy Days.
Fever Pitch Guy
falcon – Yes I do!
Remember when Robin Williams made his television debut on Happy Days, also fighting The Fonz?
Dumpster Divin Theo
Didn’t the Fonz jump a shark on Bay watch then have to be saved by Hasselhof?
nukeg
Breaking News: Jon Heyman reporting that Juan Soto just had lunch. Reports indicate that he opted for roast beef.
CardsFan57
I came in here just to see how many comments were posted before this one.
Informed Sportsball Discussion
That dude will never live this down.
tigers182
Heyman’s a genuinely good dude
Fever Pitch Guy
Informed – And the blogger who reported Ohtani to the Jays being a done deal will never be trusted again.
DarkSide830
Juan Soso more like.
to4
Is this true or you guys are jerking me off ??
FemboySportsFan!
wtf ? LOL
to4
Relax, Is an expression brother
TheBoatmen
The expression is “jerking me around”. I am not sure what you are trying to express.
Fever Pitch Guy
Boat – I’m pretty sure he knew what he wrote, and knew what it meant. No chance he didn’t.
Dumpster Divin Theo
The expression is “jack me off”. Also the name of an insurance salesman
yanks2009
He wants to win!!
Damn_Yankees
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He’s going to be a New York Yankee. Steinbrenner isn’t going to unload all of those prospects for a one year rental. He knew that when he approved Cashman to make the trade. Soto is a cash cow for the Yankees. Hal will match any offer put on the table by any team. Watch.
stymeedone
It doesn’t matter what the Yankees do. The decision is Soto’s. He may not like playing 2nd fiddle behind Judge. He may want to be THE star.
CardsFan57
I think Soto wants the money more than anything else. He could have been the man his entire career in Washington.
GarryHarris
Reminds me when Ohtani was on a plane to Toronto last year.
bhd360
As far as Toronto goes, I’ll believe it when I see it. Do I believe Toronto legitimately wants him and thinks they will be able to get him? Yes. Do I think Boras & Co. are using their typical “Use a deep pocketed team who my client has zero interest in playing for to drive up my clients price” tactic to get him back to NY? Absolutely.
Old York
@bhd360
Honestly, I’d love if he ended up in a similar situation to Correa where he thinks he’s signing with a big market team and ends up taking a lower $-amount with a team that is going nowhere. That would be funny.
Mynameisnoname
In what world is Correa comparable to Soto?
Idosteroids
within the context he just stated.
NashvilleJeff
@Myname: They’re both Latinos whose last name ends in a vowel? Both right handed hitters? Those worlds……..
jbigz12
I’ve never seen Soto take a RH Ab…….
NashvilleJeff
@jbig: LOL……duh. Me neither. To eager to make my joke that just fell flat.
Old York
@Mynameisnoname
Try reading it again. I’m not suggesting Soto & Correa are the same player.
NashvilleJeff
“Too.”
Old York
@jbigz12
You may have never seen him hit right but maybe when he was young, he hit right a few times. My son is a right handed batter but will hit left in batting practice.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Ones a cheater
Old York
@Dumpster Divin Theo
Oh no! Best to clean out the HOF of all those cheaters, as well.
NYCityRiddler
Please be prepared to bring your “A” game Nash, tough crowd. Ahahahaha!
Fever Pitch Guy
York – For a second there it sounded like you said “Jeters”.
Old York
@Fever Pitch Guy
Someone put Jeter in the HOF. Very disappointed. He was not an all-round top baseball player. But I understand that the HOF isn’t focused on that. Guys can spend their whole career as a DH, not even have to play defense and they still get in. Might as well split the HOF up into Hall of Hitters, Hall of Pitchers and Hall of Defenders.
Mynameisnoname
Old York- You are implying it’s possible scenario though.
Correa has had durability concerns and volleyed between high performance and mediocre years.
I’m saying there is no world where Soto’s consistent health and performance has to settle for a short term, high AAV contract.
Mynameisnoname
Isosteroids- But that context is impossible. It is akin to saying it’d be funny if Ohtani had to settle for a high AAV, short term deal.
When there’s no plausibility, it doesn’t qualify as a hypothetical.
Old York
@Mynameisnoname
Just wait, those years are coming. He’s headed into the years of his career where his body starts to breakdown a bit. He’s already terrible when it comes to running and defense. If a team wants to keep him in the lineup, he really should be assigned to DH.
Mynameisnoname
Old York – well he’s FA eligible this winter, so your crystal ball ways aside, there is between a 0 and 1% chance a NY team does not sign Soto to a massive long term deal.
I agree it would be funny. Also shocking. Also so incredibly unlikely that even in jest it is not a qualifying hypothetical.
Old York
@Mynameisnoname
Fair enough. I’m just an angry old man that knows nothing.
deweybelongsinthehall
Old York, Jeter gets in under the old school of thought, 3,000 hits. I obviously don’t get a vote but as I believe Papi used just never officially got caught, he’s in the City of Boston HOF for 2013 but not Cooperstown in my book. So unfair to those that were not on PEDS. Evans, Tiant, Munson, Belle and so many others should be in before those who in my view are lucky they weren’t charged with fraud. I could go on but I won’t….
Fever Pitch Guy
York – Longevity and career accomplishments are a huge factor in HOF voting. Jeter got 3K hits, that’s an automatic induction as long as you’re not wrapped up in steroid accusations or lifetime bans or other off the field stuff.
Old York
@Fever Pitch Guy
But baseball culture has moved on from the idea of hits being the ultimate goal or having the most complete games, so why can’t the HOF acknowledge this?
Fever Pitch Guy
York – That’s the beauty of the HOF, they are independent of MLB and therefore can make their own decisions. They are not owned or controlled by MLB.
Career homeruns have become cheapened because of PED’s but 3K career hits will always be valued for the accomplishment it is.
I’m old enough to remember Yaz’s 3K hit, it was a HUGE occasion.
Old York
@Fever Pitch Guy
Career HRs has been cheapened by the fact that they increased the number of games but claim that someone is the king. I doubt Yaz gets 3K hits if he played with less games per season. I wouldn’t put him in the HOF for his hits but the fact that he was one of the top players at his game, defensively and offensively.
Fever Pitch Guy
York – Absolutely not true!
Only Roger Maris benefited from the additional 8 games, barely breaking Babe’s 1927 record.
Until the Roid Boys of 1998-2001 surpassed Babe’s record 6 times over the 4-year period.
Do the math, they would have passed 1927 Babe even if they hadn’t played those extra 8 games.
Actually, Bonds did it in LESS than 154 games. So did McGwire in 1999.
As for Yaz ….. how is it you’re so into all those obscure complicated formula analytics, but you can’t do simple math?
3,419 hits in 3,308 games
That’s 1.034 hits per game
Multiply 1.034 times 8 games times 23 years
That’s 190 hits
Subtract 190 hits from 3,419 career hits and you still have WELL OVER 3K hits!
You are entertaining, I’ll give you that ;O)
Old York
@Fever Pitch Guy
Would be interesting if I had the time to review it. He had an additional 7 hits in 1961, his rookie season.
Sagacity
Old York – Lets be fair. There no longer is a Hall of Fame that honors the best performances in history. There’s just a political hall that allows Yankees and other players that may or may not be qualified to be in but clearly didn’t violate morality clauses like cheating, trying to cheat or facilitating cheating.
I would like a Hall of Best Baseball Performances by a player during his career. Shoeless? IN Rose? IN The ENTIRE group of legitimate stars during the Juiced Ball Era often mistaken as the steroid era? In. Average Yankees? OUT Selig? OUT Manfred? NEVER Entire board that voted to allow gambling in Baseball? NEVER Committee that allowed LAD to defer money in contracts without a huge penalty? NEVER.
I could respect that Hall of Fame.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Papi wasn’t on meds, he just gets angry and big when provoked like David Banner. Otherwise he’s a lovable clown
Tigers3232
@Sagacity that area celebrating the best performances of All Time is the museum portion of the HOF. And most if not all of those with HOF worthy careers that have been held out for other reasons are celebrated throughout the museum.
Not saying whether or not I agree with those being held out, I’m torn on the matter. Just stating their accomplishments are still celebrated as is their existence in the games history.
Fever Pitch Guy
York – Why are you angry? I enjoy your posts, that should make you happy.
Fever Pitch Guy
Theo – Yeah that dugout phone in Baltimore totally provoked Ortiz. He tried using it to order a Chicken Chalupa Supreme, but the phone just wouldn’t cooperate. The phone got what it deserved.
If Pedroia had been blinded with phone fragments, the phone would have been at fault.
Fever Pitch Guy
York – You’ll find this interesting …… during the 1961 season, the AL teams played 162 games and the NL teams played 154.
How about that!
Dumpster Divin Theo
I’ve never seen Soto at a Wendy’s drive thru
Old York
@Fever Pitch Guy
Okay, I’ll confess that Yaz was so amazing to get 3K hits and definitely belongs in the HOF for that reason alone. I greatly apologize for my moronic take and do hope that you accept my sincere apology for disrespecting a legend of the game.
NashvilleJeff
@Fever Pitch Guy: One of the best baseball books I ever read was by Jim Brosnan. He was a relief pitcher for the Reds. His book, Pennant Race, was based on the Reds 1961 pennant winning season. I read it in the 70’s while in college. It was reviewed as a “Classic game by game account of the 1961 Cincinnati Reds pennant chase.” Pennant Race was the follow up to his 1959 classic The Long Season. Brosnan is a forgotten athlete turned writer who deserves to be remembered for both of his careers.
Yossi Ronnen
Correa had some bad luck since the lock out started while he was in negotiations, and when it was over it was too late for him.
He had significant offers that fell through a year later due to medical concerns.
Old York
@Yossi Ronnen
Your boy had two offers from the Mets and Giants but is in terrible health, so they weren’t going to invest all that money in an injury prone guy. He’s cooked.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Correa had some bad luck when teams turned to those blue recycling bins
Yossi Ronnen
heh, he ain’t my boy, but I think he’s cooked too.
However…Soto had been pretty healthy and stable in his career.
Pads Fans
Twins won the Central in Correa’s 1st year of his new deal. Just sayin.
TheGr8One
Toronto knows they can’t sign him. They can’t afford the deal and the tax penalties that go with it while still addressing other needs and the tax penalty for those after signing Soto. Someone’s gonna say they can clear payroll to make it work sure on paper but then you have more holes to fill. Toronto isn’t a match.
stymeedone
That tactic worked well for Correa… Oh wait! He’s still in Minnesota.
FullMontilla
Of course Toronto wants him…but he ain’t going to Toronto. He’ll be wearing pinstripes again next season
Tigers3232
I’m guessing he goes back to the Yankees as well. But you never know, he could be looking for another somewhat large market team that he could be more synonymous with the franchise when all is said and done. With the Yankees that is an enormous task due to how many of the games greats already have cemented their legacies with the Yankees.
As far as if TOR cam afford him, they absolutely can. Most teams could afford a mega contract. Not that it would be wise for many of them, but they by all means have the revenue to cover it.
twozero6ix
get the private jet watch party ready for Toronto again!!
Acoss1331
Has Morosi started tracking the jet’s arrival at Toronto?
Pads Fans
The meeting is in Newport Beach, but i did hear the Jays had scheduled a party at JOEY Newport Beach.
EHenderson
Soto will sign with the Red Sox and abuse the Green Monster and average 60+ HR per year for the first 10 years of the contract. At least 25 per season will go over the Monster. His defense and SB will also both improve a lot and fast.
Heard it here first
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
ZERO chance of any of those things happening outside of the Mets visiting Fenway once in a while.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Isn’t Soto a lefty? He’ll bang up or go around Pesky’s Pole instead.
EHenderson
At least 25 per year over the Monster, at least 25 per year to Right Field (Pesky Pole) and at least 10 per year on the road
vtadave
So Soto is going to change his approach/swing just to try and hit the ball over the Monster? Seems like a bad idea.
gomer33
you have him hitting 50homers a year at Fenway and 10 a year at all the other parks combined?
EHenderson
He has Ellsbury type potential for SB. Just hasn’t really used it/been given enough of a green light
Fever Pitch Guy
Hendu – I wish there was a way I could give you “Likes” without people thinking I believe or agree with what you write. LOL!
Ducey
And last
misterb71
Does his career slash of .216/.356/.487 with only 3 HR in 45 PA at Fenway Park suggest anything different?
nowheredan
“Only” 3 hr in 45 PA’s translates to 40 HR’s over 600 PA’s.
deweybelongsinthehall
The idea of Boston being interested in Soto is to play nice with Boras who has other clients and increase the cost so whichever team signs him will have less to spend on others.
Tigers3232
They’d be foolish not to especially with the favorite to sign him and another team meeting with him are in the same division.
I just don’t see the fit for Red Sox with him looking for a long term deal. He ll likely be finishing the contract at DH which also seems to be the path Devers is on while he ll still be under contract with BOS.
Dumpster Divin Theo
EHenderson abusing his little Green Monster while fantasizing bout next season
Texian44
Every time I read about a team meeting with Boras + 1, – I am reminded of the old saying. “When you play poker, if after 15 minutes you don’t know who is the patsy, then you are the patsy.”
Codeeg
They’re either legitimate candidates or they’re hitting the pocketbooks of their competition. it’s better than collusion.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Even the roof-less Rays are interested so yeah.
Tigers3232
With Soto I’d be absolutely surprised if Rays ad true interest considering the what a huge sum his contract will likely be. Them again I never expected them to offer Freeman $150M.
D2323
Anyone got the tail number of Soto’s flight to Toronto? Want to track.
YankeesBleacherCreature
I think this is the initial rounds of meetings where teams are flying out to meet Soto and Boras in SoCal.
HalosHeavenJJ
Well, it is a gorgeous day out here. Should just scrape 70 and there’s a golf course, great dining, and some nice views of the Pacific right outside Boras office door.
FatChance65
The Red Sox??? ROFLOL. Full throttle Part II
KingKen
As a Sox fan I don’t even want him. Coming into the off season a power lefty hitting OFer was nowhere on any lists of “things the Red Sox need to address this winter.”
'Tang It
To be fair, he hits lefties so handedness doesn’t really matter, but I agree, we don’t need to spend there.
KingKen
Fair enough. But outside of drawing an insane number of walks what exactly does he do on the field that’s so outstanding to warrant the contract numbers people have been speculating? He doesn’t have insane power, he’s not a great (or even very good) defender, doesn’t have a great arm, isn’t a great base runner. For someone people are speculating will get a contract in the $500-600M range I’d expect to be getting a 5-tool player. He’s not that.
shortstop
What does this guy do on the field, other than being 23rd all time in OPS? Great question.
KingKen
Again, mostly because he walks a lot. Big f-ing deal. And he has decent power. But even then when he does make contact he doesn’t hit for a particularly high average. Nothing about his game says he should be the highest paid position player in the game.
Fever Pitch Guy
Tang – Red Sox signing him would go against everything they have claimed they don’t want the past few years ….. few tools, longterm contract, huge dollars ….. and just 4 years ago they refused to give $300M to a 26-year-old homegrown 5-tool multi-positional face of the franchise ….. now they supposedly are willing to give $600M to someone who is none of those things?
Red Sox have turned into a clown organization.
vtadave
He has a great OPS because he walks a lot? Well that and he just finished third in the league with a .281 ISO. Also, hitting .288 these days is pretty good.
GASoxFan
Ken – I good chunk of its his age. He’s a FA years ahead of when most inpactful players first reach the open market.
So, the theory goes, some stats should continue to improve further till he hits his peak, and, youre paying a true market valuation for prime age years that usually are depressed by the team control/arb process.
Fever Pitch Guy
Ken – So what you’re saying is the Red Sox would be damn fools to give Soto $600M+ after refusing to offer Mookie even $300M …… well then, I totally agree with you!
Fever Pitch Guy
GASox – Sorry to interject, but I agree with you that he’s getting better.
This year he had the highest SLG of his 6-year career.
HighOnPineTar
Fever – we all miss Mookie in Boston, but have you ever heard of moving on from a mistake and considered the possibility that they’re finally changing course from the failed “moneyball” rebuild? Red Sox signing Soto does not make them look like fools for trading Mookie, they already accomplished that 5 years ago when they traded Mookie and it’s time to move on. Could signing Soto be foolish financially with their current needs, okay sure that’s a worthy debate to have. But you shouldn’t actively wish against them signing the top talent in baseball in 2024/25 simply because they didn’t do it half a decade ago!
Fever Pitch Guy
High – I certainly get what you’re saying, for me it’s a matter of spending the money wisely.
How can a professional baseball organization not value Mookie, who was well worth $300M from both an on-field perspective and marketing perspective, but somehow value Soto basically twice as much?
Taking huge financial risks is fine if you are willing to spend over $300M in payroll annually, but for a team like the Red Sox that has shown a strong desire to remain well under the cap, Soto would prevent them from other much better potential improvements.
I’d rather they use that $50M+ Soto money and acquire a top starting pitcher and top closer with it.
But it’s a moot point anyway, John Henry is not gonna outbid the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Jays etc for Soto. Those days ended when Larry left.
DirtyWater04
“just 4 years ago they refused to give $300M to a 26-year-old homegrown 5-tool multi-positional face of the franchise ….. now they supposedly are willing to give $600M to someone who is none of those things”
Scream this from the the top of the Prudential tower. Where the F was this alleged willingness to spend when Mookie’s contract was up?
DirtyWater04
Exactly. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have a bat like Soto’s in the lineup. We all would. But the two things that this roster needs to make vast improvements upon in order to be taken seriously as a real playoff contender is the pitching staff and on defense. Soto’s bat doesn’t give us an ace (or even a guy who can give you 3 or 4 quality starts in a calendar month), and his glove would not make our defense any less dreadful. In fact it would make us even worse because it would displace one of our few plus defenders in Wilyer Abreu.
If they’re finally serious about actually spending money again I fully welcome that. But we have bigger needs that need to be addressed a lot more aggressively than right field. We need two starters with at least one of them being a legit #1, and a good reliever or two. Take care of that, find a right handed power bat to balance out all the lefties, and if Soto is still out there then we can talk about going crazy and blowing up the whole lineup to try and fit him in.
'Tang It
Yeah I wouldn’t be the one paying him. He’s one dimensional despite being very good at that one dimension.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Enough with the crying about Mookie. That was 5 years ago. He didn’t want to play in Boston. Everyone knows that.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
You don’t have to worry about any of that. Soso is not coming to Boston. He’s going to the highest bidder and that will be the New York Mets.
Pads Fans
16th in SLG. Better than decent. Showing that you are not afraid to express your opinion when you are totally clueless, priceless.
Fever Pitch Guy
Gary – Regardless of that unsupported stance of yours, there’s no excuse for not even trying to re-sign him.
In the words of the great Sean McDonough:
“It’s a trade that can never be defended and a stain that will never be erased, the trade of Mookie Betts by the Red Sox.”
Castiglione: “Certainly a generational player.”
McDonough: “Plays with a smile on his face. He’s everything you’d want in a player, on and off the field.”
all in the suit that you wear
Mookie made it clear he was going to free agency. In 2019 he said:
“Just because you go to free agency doesn’t mean you don’t want to be somewhere. It’s just a part of the business.”
masslive.com/redsox/2019/07/mookie-betts-boston-re…
The Red Sox then traded him to be sure to get something for him.
Sagacity
High = Nicely done. I can’t forgive Boston for Mookie or the dismantling of a championship team but I agree trying to fix what they broke would be nice. Nothing, however, suggests that Boston is thinking about fixing anything. It’s all rhetoric at this point.
Should Boston sign Soto for a fair market value? Absolutely. Is it likely to happen? No because there hasn’t been one sign or even tell tale sign that improvement is the goal. The goal since they fired Dombrowski has been to reduce cost through downgrading talent.in hopes of the farm system saving them money and rebuilding some of the talent. It’s not a winning strategy but it is a very profitable strategy.
Until something changes this franchise will stay on the same uncharted path to mediocrity. A Soto signing would be an indicator that things have changed, that’s why it’s so unlikely. As fans we all hope for talent upgrades but the reality is this ownership group stopped pursuing championships and is simply stock piling profits without regard to winning.
We can’t get back Mookie, we can’t get back Dombrowski, we can’t get back the 2018 star studded roster as you mentioned. But this isn’t an if-then=else equation. It’s a profit driven formula for competing and appeasing the fan base.
Sagacity
Dirty = DITTO everything you wrote!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you.
Sagacity
Dirty = I love what you are writing. Your solutions are logical and should be obvious but there are some key elements missing from your success formula:
1 = Commitment by ownership since things start at the top when building a strong organization to be successful
2 – A GM who has a working knowledge of the game and an ability to hire people who can find the truly talented players and procure them for reasonable prices as well as select and develop young talent in the farm system
3 – A Manager who doesn’t cheat!!! Also one that had a work ethic as a player and played a prominent role on the roster to understand the mind set of great players that are needed to win. A manager who can make the hard decisions to play the players at their best positions on defense and in the batting order. A manager who understands pitching talent and how to maximize the value of his pitching staff.
The top of the pyramid is broken badly and players can improve a team’s record but it can’t make them winners without the top of the pyramid fixing itself and ridding those that don’t belong.
So I believe wholeheartedly in your suggestions for how to improve but without the proper infrastructure, we are putting lipstick on a pig.
DirtyWater04
It had nothing to do with not wanting to play in Boston. He has continued to say nothing but positive things about his time with the Sox when asked when he’s got no reason at all to care about or spare our feelings. Here’s what he said in 2023: “”Even though I wasn’t really ready for (the trade to the Dodgers) — I know people don’t believe me but I wanted to stay in Boston my whole career,” Betts told former teammate Brock Holt during his appearance, according to MassLive. “That was my life. I knew everybody there. it was a short flight to Nashville. It was perfect.””
He’s a union guy. The pay scale in baseball is heavily based on comps, so the union needs players like Mookie Betts to hit the market and get a giant contract for the sake of raising pay for all its members. This was reported on by Olney – he wanted to set the bar high so other guys down the line would be in line to get paid too. If he left a ton of money on the table, it would limit the market value for the next wave of guys to get big deals. There is no reason at all to believe he would not have stayed in Boston if they gave him the best offer. They were not interested in doing that.
nesn.com/2020/01/mlb-rumors-this-might-explain-why…
And I don’t care if it was 5 years ago, Betts is the best player this team has produced in my lifetime as well as one of my favorites. I’m not interested in forgiving them for how they handled the situation just because it’s been a few years, especially considering they haven’t made a serious effort at contention yet in any of the subsequent seasons. Maybe if they actually try to fix the mess they’ve made I’ll warm back up to them, but the ball remains in their court to show me they care about winning baseball games and they’ve yet to do it.
DirtyWater04
Item number one is the biggest thing missing. There were some things Breslow did that reek of Bloom 2: Electric Boogaloo, but I do also have to say under his front office and Andrew Bailey as the pitching coach, the pitching staff that was largely the same one as 2023 took a pretty noticeable step forward last year. Enough to the point where you have to wonder if maybe those two are really on to something. In addition to just because I want to see a good baseball team again, they need to green light Breslow for higher spending so we can see if he’s legit or not. Bloom deserved to have the purse strings taken away after the Story deal to be frank, but if we are going to dig out of the hole he dug then Breslow is going to need to be given more freedom to make moves of significance. He’s either going to fix this thing or not. Even if he fails, let’s get it over with so we can move on if he proves not to be the right guy. Just nibbling around at the margins and dumpster diving every winter is only going to prolong the mess.
I recognize I’m in the minority here but I still like Cora as manager though. The players have always seemed to like playing for him and respond well to his style. In an intense market like Boston it’s extra important to have guys who “get it” with respect to the environment, and he certainly qualifies. That’s good not just for his sake but also for helping players acclimate when they’re new arrivals from places with less pressure. That said, it’s been pretty obvious for some time now they’ve been grooming Varitek to be the next guy in line for the job, and I have no problem with that whatsoever. If Cora gets stale and starts to lose the clubhouse or at some point decides he wants to move on, I am okay with that knowing we have a franchise icon and brilliant baseball guy waiting in the wings.
all in the suit that you wear
DW04: That article further supports that Mookie had his mind set to go to free agency. It looks like the Red Sox traded him to be sure to get some value for him. Then, after Mookie was traded, Covid hit and Mookie decided to sign in LA and not test free agency. During Covid, there were questions about the financial future of baseball as there were no fans at the games. I think that’s why Mookie decided to take LA’s offer and never test free agency.
DirtyWater04
Yes. He was set to go to free agency. I have never argued that point, he was pretty clear about it. I completely agree with your entire assessment. I don’t fault him at all for changing his mind about it either, because as you said the Dodgers threw even more money at him than I think he expected to get on the market (remember, the extension value that was said would’ve gotten the job done in Boston was about $300 million) before the whole world went sideways. Getting a $365 million contract offer in the midst of a pandemic where so much about the future is up in the air – I get it, he would’ve been insane to turn that down. Win-win for him and the Dodgers. It could’ve been us if Bloom hadn’t rushed to trade him before the season for a bag of Chex Mix.
That is all well and good – but that doesn’t mean he was set to leave like so many insist. Every indication he’s given is that he wanted to be in Boston. He wasn’t going to give them any special discounts, nor should he have. Baseball can be a very cutthroat business, the players do not owe the owners any special favors, so I have no hard feelings toward him that he was unwilling to give Henry some kind of sweetheart deal. It is pretty clear to me though that if ownership had been willing to actually open up their wallet and match or top his best offer in the market, he’d still be on the Red Sox.
all in the suit that you wear
DW04: I agree it sounds like Mookie could still be in Boston if the Red Sox would have matched or beat his best offer. Is it fair to say the Red Sox never got a chance to do that? Mookie apparently was set on going to free agency to hear all offers. Then the Red Sox traded him. Then he changed his mind and didn’t go to free agency and the Red Sox had no chance to meet or beat his best offer.
Tigers3232
@King Many 5 tool players never master even one of them to the point Soto has. And the guy scored a league leading 129 Rs last season, so although he’s not stealing bases much he’s not a poor base runner. The objective of a base runner is to score which Soto led league in.
And 41 HRs is not insane but by all means above avg. Also provided 100+ RBIs and quite a few doubles. The guy is simply a catalyst for a lineup that helps produce runs be it him scoring or driving them in.
mad1
Cue the reports from passan and morosi on how the blue jays are in on the market for the best players. Lol
Hank Murphy
Soto will end up in New York, but with the Mets. My gut tells me he’s leaving the Yankees.
The past 10 years of Blue Jays offseasons were best described by the Bard; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
This one belongs to the Reds
None of this is surprising.
Thornton Mellon
Does anyone think that Scott Boras will alter his approach this year? Last winter he seemed to significantly overplay his hand. My own opinion is he won’t, it’ll be “someone’s gonna pay”. We’ll see.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Soto will be signed before Thanksgiving !!! lol.
Fever Pitch Guy
Gary – It’s a good thing this year Thanksgiving is the latest it could ever be !!
Oh wait a minute …. you don’t mean Canadian Thanksgiving, do you? If so then he has until next October!!!
jimmertee
Juan Soto is not coming to the Toronto Blue Jays.
As I said with Ohtani long before the fabled flight, Soto is using all the other clubs to leverage the max contract He can get in order for him to go to his preferred city. He has one city he wants to play in. And Boras is going to work the system and the clubs in order for that to happen for the maximum amount of term and money.
Canuckleball
Bang on. All the early teams they meet with are the table setters. They’ll set the baseline for offers, which Soto and Boras will use when talking with the Yanks, Mets, and other finalists.
Also, based on the Jays recent seasons, Soto doesn’t really fit their style. They seem to want guys with great gloves and no bat. Soto is really the opposite. Good thing Kevin Kiermaier retired, or they’d probably try to bring him back for round three.
TB Sox NY
Soto said any team right?What about the Pirates or Rockies?
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Money Talks is what he’s saying.
mlb fan
Soto’s the ultimate hired gun. He’ll play on the moon for the right financial offer.
johncoltrane
Can we stop wasting everyones time
He gonna sign NY no Q
Calvin24
But M or Y?
Fever Pitch Guy
Calvin – No Q means no Queens …. which means he thinks Soto will sign with the Yankees.
hyraxwithaflamethrower
I heard that about Ohtani for his first contract. How’d that work out again?
Ducey
So Ohtani signed last Dec 11.
Boras will drag that out at least another month because he likes the attention and thinks it benefits his clients.
There is a decent chance that Atkins is sitting around at the end of January with no Soto, no Vlad signing, and sifting thru the bargain bin looking to see if there is any tread left on some aging players.
Fever Pitch Guy
Ducey – Atkins will sign O’Neill, he will be a fan favorite.
jwinker
Rob ducey?
Fever Pitch Guy
Winker – I bet it’s Alan Charles Ducey … aka A.C. Ducey
fba0017
All to drive up Yanks and Mets price. But will get both fan bases in a tizzy over it.
Slider_withcheese
Ontario taxes are no joke and if he’s getting paid in Canadian dollars he’s looking at leaving 30 cents on the US dollar. I’m sure when you’re in that stratosphere of income it’s not a huge deal but it’s still a lot of money not reaching his actual pocket.
Ducey
All Jays players are paid in US dollars. Same with NHL and NBA Canadian based teams.
Slider_withcheese
I knew that. That was just for people who didn’t…. Or something like that. Ha. Thanks for the knowledge Ducey
'Tang It
The taxes are real though. But it’s not like new York or Massachusetts etc are tax Havens
Franx
Get paid in American. The taxes are very similar to NY and Cali, they’re worse but not by much
bcjd
I think the Soto contract end up in the vicinity of $565mm/12 years. That’s a record-setting $50mm/year for five years. With opt-outs at 4 and/or 5 years, so if he loves up to his contract he can test FA and set new records at age 30-31.
But if he doesn’t want to bet on himself, he gets $45mm per year for seven years. If there’s a way to allow a window for a trade around year 6 or 7, that would be ideal for the team, but I’m not sure it’s a dealbreaker.
Then, at the tail end, there are team options for years 13 and 14 at bargain rates. That allows the team to get a little more value at the tail end, if there’s any value left to be had, and for Soto to tell the story of his commitment to the team and to winning by playing for the love of the game. He’ll be rich, and the last couple of years will be about legacy more than anything.
I could see that offer from NYY.
I could imagine the Mets going above that.
It’s hard to imagine Boston going that far.
Toronto? No idea.
Dodgers? I don’t think they are interested.
Texas, San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago (NL) maybe.
ohyeadam
Make those bargain rate team options into player ones. This way it’s considered guaranteed money and it lowers the luxury tax hit
kje76
Texas is a no. Word has been that they want to reset on the luxury tax, likely due to their TV contract issues.
Pads Fans
If he doesn’t want to bet on himself like he has the last 3 seasons, he will get $45 million AAV for 12-15 years.
Acoss1331
Look at the Red Sox, showing interest in a big free agent lol
In all seriousness, it’s about time they started getting serious about getting free agents.
DirtyWater04
Way too soon to say they’re serious about this. I still fully expect they booked the meeting just to be able to come back to the fans and tell us they tried, but that he was simply asking for far too much so they had to bow out to turn their attention to other players whom they also won’t make a serious effort to sign.
TheGr8One
Replace Sox with Toronto and your assessment is also accurate
Fever Pitch Guy
Dirty – Yep! But they will definitely use the word “align”.
“We attempted to sign Soto and really wanted him to come here, but his asking price didn’t align with what we were willing to offer”.
And this is also to sell tickets.
“Get your season tickets now, because *if* we sign Soto the seats will sell out fast”.
whyhayzee
Soto is a lefty Manny Ramirez.
The biggest tr0ll
So he uses steroids?
swanhenge
OF is not one of Boston’s needs, but if they did land Soto, I would think one of Duran/Abreu could be packaged for a nice starting pitcher.
Soto, Rafaela, Duran/Abreu would be a pretty awesome trio to throw out there every night.
misterb71
Watching Soto try to manage either the Monster in LF or Boston’s awkward RF would be entertaining. He had trouble with the short RF in Yankee Stadium — can’t imagine what he’ll do playing 70+ games in another ballpark.
swanhenge
Well, they ran Manny out there for years. Wouldn’t be any worse than that s**t show.
JerseyShoreScore
Dodgers should sign Soto to $50 million per season, they would have Ohtani and Soto at an average of $26 million each for the next nine years….
Edp007
As “great” as a player you want to label Soto, not the personality that fans “fall in love “ with. Vladdy is. If they extend Vladdy and bring a Soto they will be in another payroll level. No way they are going to be a 300 mill team. And if they don’t have Vladdy extended why would Soto want to play for a decade and lose.
Having said that , I hear Vladdy and Soto are buddy buddys.
End of it he goes where the $$ and winning line up.
Yankees
dasit
if soto plays for your team i promise you will fall in love with him every at-bat is high drama
Pedro Martinez’s Mango Tree
Sox are just looking to waste Boras’ time, apparently
swanhenge
Eh, this is just positioning by Boras. There needs to be opposing bidders to help push up the more legitimate NY team offers. Sucks to say that, but I would be shocked if Soto lands anywhere other than the Mets/Yanks.
DirtyWater04
It’s true I just saw Soto at the Hertz counter at Logan
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
First Major League Baseball free agent who drives himself in a rental car LOL.
DirtyWater04
Hahaha, just referencing the meme that always pops up every time there’s a rumor about the Pats trading for a wide receiver. All started with Larry Fitzgerald back in the day when somebody tweeted “is this Larry Fitzgerald at Logan airport?” when it’s literally just a random black dude with long dreads lol
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Ok got it.., not sure if you noticed but I can pull out the humor frequently so I appreciate yours.
As I can see now you have four thumbs up so I should have guessed there was something behind your comment.
DirtyWater04
You’re good, I was surprised nobody beat me to the joke honestly
BlueJays Fan
Sounds like a repeat of last year! Toronto does not like to make long-term commitments. The current management and owners are looking at revenue, and Roger’s center is already full for nearly every game. Sportsnet is owned by Roger’s so they have the market on that front as well. As long as people are willing to pay for the seats and Sportsnet subscriptions, why spend that much for one player. They are more likely to sign a Pete Alonso and move Vlad to 3rd. They have started working towards that last year.
Digdugler
As a Jays fan, zero % chance, Atkins and Shapiro are just sheep
draker
The plane! The plane!
Deckard
The Jays had no shot at Ohtani. No shot.
And they have no shot at Soto. No shot.
And no big name free agent would want to come to Toronto. Anyone with a half a brain will look at the organization, note that their big franchise player who they have touted from the start as “The Guy” is still not signed to a long-term deal. Enough said.
Goose
Red Sox already stated their lineup was too lefty heavy. Unless they have a trade in place, which they don’t and want to get a big contract, which they don’t then they are doing this to say ‘We showed interest fans’ which they really didn’t.
The ONLY way I see this happening is they sign Soto and package Duran, Abreu and/or Anthony a quality starting pitcher.
olmtiant
Named Pedro Martinez!!! I would rather use the money to sign two possibly 3 pitchers .. or 2 and T… Hernandez
Pedro Cerrano's Voodoo
A left handed OF with questionable defense is pretty much the opposite of what the Red Sox need right now.
JoeBrady
I give it about a 0% chance of happening. I’m guessing that this is just a poor attempt to drive up the price.,
stymeedone
He’s a slightly better version of Adam Dunn. Still nimble enough to play the field, and hope he won’t hurt you too badly. Young enough that the bat speed hasn’t slowed yet. The Red Sox can always use another DH.
Jim Carter
The Orioles have a paltry payroll and a new owner, but they don’t make bold moves.
Salzilla
Can’t see it. To me it’s a three way between the Yanks, Dodgers, and Mets. I don’t care if team X has the cash, I just don’t see Soto biting on anyone else.
The biggest tr0ll
Agreed, though I think it’s Dodgers / Yankees
stretch123
He will choose one of the NY teams or go to LAD. My hope is he spurns them and picks a surprise team (would love to see him return to Nationals). But hard to see…
Nebraska Tim
Soto will sign with whichever teams pays the most.
Jays better put down $700 as their first bid.
Captainmike1
If he does he is the biggest fool on the planet
stymeedone
No, he’d be the richest fool on the planet.
CTS4
Not a hope in hell will Soto sign with the 2 Useless Cleveland Clowns…What a Joke !!
Mtog
IF the jays were to sign him they should flip Bo for prospects and/or a solid pitcher. Use that money to sign some BP help and a lefty starter. Move Springer to LF/DH, clement to 3B, sign Kim for SS, and play Wagner at 2nd.
Just my two Canadian cents worth….
jdgoat
Only way Soto is signing a deal in Toronto is if Vladdy is signing an extension alongside him.
Captainmike1
Soto would be a fool to sign with the Jays
Philly 6
Admittedly, I’m a Phillies homer. I still believe the Phillies have a genuine, and under reported real shot of getting Soto. Reasons:
1. Phillies can pay him the $600MM over 12 years.
2. The pull of playing with Harper, Turner, Schwarber and being reunited with Kevin Long is a plus.
3. Phillies are going to be contenders for some time with their pitching staff in place.
4. Salary going to come off in the next year or two related to : Schwarber (resigned at a lower cost in 2026), Castellanos, Walker, Realmuto.
5. Ownership will do what it takes to keep a great product on the field. Not sure it was reported, but Middelton the owner just raised additional capital from investors. He’s growing the investment group.
6. I think they trade Bohm for another piece for this year. Not sure if that is bullpen or outfield or perhaps future catching prospect as part of the deal. Haven’t scoured the 3b free agent class……Maybe trade with Cardinals if they want out of Arenado? Money is an issue there for both teams. Or play Sosa and find a free agent 3b
7. Miller and Crawford are really going to be counted on for 2026, if not sooner. Painter as a starting pitcher as well.
Again, maybe wishful thinking, but I think Soto would fit in great with this team make-up. The salary for this year would be massive, but perhaps for the right dollars and length of contract, the first year is less than years 2-6 lets say…. The fans will continue to come, and yes, cheer and boo incessantly, as long as the team has a real chance. I don’t put anything past D Dombrowski – he will be thorough in his decision making.
DirtyWater04
Can certainly never rule out anything with Dave D, he’s a true big game hunter. But isn’t pitching a more urgent need for the Phils?
Philly 6
Starting pitching is set… Wheeler, Nola, Sanchez and Suarez…. Walker is also signed but I’m thinking they want to move him..possibly with Bohm? Painter hopefully pitches some this year…. Now the bullpen…. can’t lose both Estevez and Hoffman…need one back. Unless they get Williams from the Brewers in trade (Bohm?)…. fifth starter is important, but doesn’t need to be a big expense..
Sagacity
Philly 6 = Great write-up. I think you gave plenty of reasons for it to be a possibility but I think it’s much simpler than you have suggested.
Look at the roster and consider Dombrowski’s historical approach to building rosters. He builds them with windows in mind. In Boston it was 2016 to 2022 and then a retooling. Unfortunately, he never got to the retooling. In Philly, 2025 is the last year before retooling. Eat the extra costs in 2025 and then in 2026 with Soto on board the payroll drop=off will cover a major portion of Soto’s cost. Yes, he can resign some of the people or go find other non-key position players but he’ll have the core players that are all=stars back in 2026 without some of the excess costs. He’ll have pitching in Wheeler, Nola, Walker and Sanchez and hitting with Harper, Turner and Castellanos. Re-sign Schwarber and maybe Realmuto and let the farm system fill in the rest with controlled players.
Phillie is a legitimate threat up to $60 Million and possibly more. Dombrowski wants to end the close but no cigar finishes and chalk one up in Philly like in Boston.
Fever Pitch Guy
Sag – I know you’re not that fond of Dombrowski, but one of his biggest strengths is trades …. hence his nickname “Trader Dave”.
Look back at his time with the Red Sox. He waited out the market perfectly and got JD at a bargain price. He traded for Sale. He traded for Kimbrel. He traded for Nate. He traded for Pearce. He traded for Nunez.
It’s not Dave’s M.O. to sign top free agents to record setting contracts, other than Price but that was only because they were together in Detroit and had the same first name.
The Phillies do operate on a budget, so I don’t see Dave splurging on Soto. They already have way too much money tied up in current Phillies players.
all in the suit that you wear
Dombrowski signed Trea Turner to a crazy 11 year/$300M contract that will pay him through his age 40 season. So, I think he could make a serious offer to Soto if Middleton is willing to pay.
diphthong
Waay more protection in the Phils lineup than the Yanks or Mets.
If Soto signs with the Phils, could put Trea Turner (back) into the MVP conversation.
Spaced-Cowboy
So you’re telling me there’s a chance…
Philly 6
YEP… LOL…. figured I had to put some thought behind just the wishful thinking..
JoeBrady
Like that girl in the 8th grade that told me she’d go out with me when hell froze over. I’m like ‘okay, then we have a time frame?’
Spaced-Cowboy
One has to wonder if delaying the Vladdy deal was a way to eat into his extension by proclaiming needed funds for a Soto deal.
Spaced-Cowboy
But then I look at the Shatkins track record.
CarolinaCubsandKush
The Jays are gonna be the new Giants of whiffing on mega stars huh? I guess they’ll land one eventually if they’re willing to throw Soto money out.
Red Sox let Mookie walk, but are willing to talk Soto’s asking price? If that’s legit, I wonder if the Sox knew Mookie wouldn’t sign with Boston long term or something?
Blackpink in the area
They aren’t signing Soto but they certainly have a shot at Bregman.
Hey at least the Jays are in the rumors for the mega stars. Thats more than most teams can say.
'Tang It
Bregman makes zero sense for them
DarrenDreifortsContract
God bless the Blue Jays for always trying but unless they offer a superstar 100 million more than everyone else.. It’s never going to happen.
dasit
the reason our planet is facing a shortage of fresh water is that heyman is carrying so much of it for boras
Pads Fans
“A 4 person delegation including Tom Werner, Theo Epstein, Craig Breslow, and Alex Cora” is reported to be heading to southern California.
Henry won’t be part of the pitch?
Knuckles
HAHAHA! If Soto sees Henry’s face when they start discussing numbers, he will walk out of the meeting!
robw5555
Good luck.
Fever Pitch Guy
Pads – John Henry doesn’t give a damn about anything except profits. Remember last offseason Yamamoto visited the Mets and Yankees in NY, and didn’t even bother heading to Boston because ownership didn’t want to bother going the extra mile for him. Heck, Henry and Werner didn’t even bother to show up for Larry’s funeral.
Theo will likely do most of the talking, he’s good at courting players.
Breslow will provide analytics that “prove” Fenway will help Soto’s numbers.
Cora will tell Soto “muchas latinas en boston”
And Werner will promise to change the final lyrics in Sweet Caroline from “So Good, So Good, So Good” to “Soto, Soto, Soto”.
The bigger question …. why isn’t David Ortiz and/or Pedro Martinez going to be there? They both have a very close relationship to Juan, who better to sell Boston than those two?
Pads Fans
That last question is a very good one.
lfcredsox
he will sign for one of the new York teams
The biggest tr0ll
Red Sox are only meeting with Soto to drive up the price. Guaranteed they won’t sign him
No way the Jays sign him… they don’t sign big stars
giantsguy41
Can we just remove the Giants from this rumor thread? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me five times? (Stanton, Harper, Judge, Ohtani)…shame on me.
Blackpink in the area
They actually just did man
robw5555
Its all smoke and mirrors. Tough park to hit in. All those guys used you merely to get the prices higher. Stanton and Judge especially were never going there.
Knuckles
My prediction – Red Sox offer 12 year $300 Million contract and John Henry is “stunned” when he is out bid by double that amount and less years.
Until they make a legitimate signing, they will always “be in on” everything and do nothing.
30 Parks
I genuinely believe the Jays use such pursuits as public relations events to appease their rightfully restless fans. Jays should sign 2-3 second tier free agents (Bregman, Hernandez, Santander, etc.) as opposed to these PR tactics.
YaGottaBelieveAgain
A kind of “Round Up the Usual Suspects” ,a Dog and Pony Show, just a Facade. Argh Here We Go Again – Faceplant
Seriously don’t you think currency exchange value issues, taxes in 2 countries and horrible astroturf (I mean concrete) scares away many good players but not all?
YankeesBleacherCreature
Toronto players get paid in U.S. dollars.
robw5555
Boras is playing his normal game. Its the Mets r thee Yankees. The Giants, Redsox, and Blue Jays have zero chance. Merely used to get the price up.
bestone
I hope the jays apply enough “game” to make the yankees overpay to the point of getting stuck with a bad contract for years….nothing better than to see the Yankee’s fans enjoy their own in right field.
Jacksson13
Scott & Juan also have a meeting with
(wait for it)……………………………………………………………
MINNY-SOTO !!
El Kabong
Even if the Red Sox miss out on Soto, they can still sign a left-hitting outfielder who started every game of the 2024 World Series. Alex Verdugo is also a free agent.
runningred
Verdugo is a loaf!! Not a fit in Boston!!
El Kabong
Ya don’t say.
runningred
Red Sox need pitching not Soto.
El Kabong
What pitcher are they going to sign for 15 years?
letitbelowenstein
Hopefully none. 15 years = 2-3 TJS
diphthong
Blue Jays the Giants of the AL. Hoping the Jays actually DO sign Soto as to essentially neuter him for the entirety of the contract.
baseballguru
If Boston gets Juan Soto he will win more rings in Boston than any other team he could go to including LA Dodgers. His age fits our near complete rebuild and we also have depth at every position. A few Aces, 1 free agent, 1 trade, Soto arrives. Trade Yoshida, Hamilton, Valdez, Meidroth, Romero, any prospect past #6 Sogard, Gonzales, even Story if needed, bring up Anthony, Meyer, Teel, Campbell, Montgomery, Bleis, Arias, get some arms healthy in the pen, sign a RH Power Bat like Adames or Bregman for 2b, sign Scott, and you’ve got a dynasty done.
Frenchredsox
That’s not a “near complete” rebuild that’s a total “all in” roster make-over. 7 trades (based on the names listed) plus 4-5 added FAs .
It works in theory but you end up either a real contender or exploding 6-7 YEARS of decent drafting and IFA picking , not to mention the Budget exploding ( from some quick maths you’re in the 280 million range just adding Soto,Scott and Adames and still haven’t fixed the Rotations’ needs)
THERE is a reason that teams don’t have 5-6 rookies on the MLB roster – its climatisation to the Show – it takes time and support – your argument would be a quarter of the roster would be learning on the job without any backup. I agree that there is potential there but also a risk element as we have seen with every rookie that come up.
Frenchredsox
It would be foolish for any “supposedly” contending clubs NOT to check in on Soto and Boras – it’s part of the winter carousel and club media hype. The question is whether they’re really willing to put 50-60 million a season on Soto. Recent history says no for the Sox , and possibly for the Jays (Ohtani rumours ).
Personally, I think that’s is a 3 horse race – between Mets,Yankees and Dodgers. Unless Soto falls in love with a club and leaves money on the table for his own personal fit (it happens but extremely rarely)
letitbelowenstein
Red Sox meeting with Soto? That’s like me shopping for a Mercedes. I can walk around the lot, but I have zero intention of buying one.
RickEO
Redsox are upping price so they get burnes.
Frank loiko
Forget Soto!! Sign Fried and trade for Crochet (Abreu, or Duran, or even Mayer and throw in Crawford Or Whitlock (or both).,then get a bonified closer! We have the speed and youth on our side, now only if Cora can utilize these assets.