BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox pushed hard to sign Juan Soto this offseason. The 26-year-old superstar said he was impressed with their presentation and strongly considered signing with the team before ultimately inking a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets in December.
The outfielder is playing at Fenway Park this week for the first time since signing the biggest contract in professional sports history. Before Tuesday’s game, Soto said the Red Sox were among the teams at the top of his list this offseason.
Advertisement
“It was pretty fun, they showed a lot of love,” Soto told The Athletic regarding the negotiations. “I really appreciated what they did and what they brought to the table. I think it was really impressive, what they bring over. I definitely sat down and looked at it and looked at the offers and everything they had for me. At the end of the day, we went in another direction.”
The Red Sox were surprise contenders in the Soto sweepstakes alongside the Mets and New York Yankees this winter, reportedly offering 15 years and $700 million. It would have more than doubled the value of the largest contract the Red Sox ever gave to a player, far eclipsing the 10-year, $313.5 million deal Rafael Devers inked in 2023.
While the Mets and Yankees were thought of as the frontrunners for Soto, he said the Red Sox were serious contenders.
“Yes, they really were right there, they were at the top of the list,” he said. “They were pushing really hard, but at the end of the day, I made decisions.”
Soto, a left-handed hitting outfielder, would have been an imperfect fit with a lefty-leaning Red Sox lineup, already crowded in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu as well as fourth outfielder Rob Refsnyder. The Red Sox also have the top prospect in baseball — left-handed hitting outfielder Roman Anthony — knocking on the door of his big-league debut. But the Red Sox were more than willing to make an exception for a generational talent in Soto, who has posted a .283 average and .946 OPS along with a career 159 OPS+ and 209 homers in his eight-year career. Through 47 games this season with the Mets, Soto is hitting .246 with an .815 OPS and eight homers.
When Soto signed with the Mets, the Red Sox pivoted, signing third baseman Alex Bregman on a three-year, $120 million deal with an opt-out after this season. Alongside Rafael Devers, Bregman has been one of the best hitters for the Red Sox this season with a .303 average and .955 OPS with 11 homers in 48 games.
Advertisement
Being in Boston for the first time since signing his mega deal, Soto said he did think on Tuesday about what it would have been like to play at Fenway Park.
“Yeah definitely, when you look at it that way, yes, (on Monday) I was like ‘Oh d—, there was a chance for me to be a part of that lineup,’” Soto said. “But that’s in the past and I’m really happy where I’m at right now.”
Soto said the history of the Red Sox and the team’s Dominican connections were a draw.
“I think, the history, what they have and how they go about it all,” Soto said. “The history of the ballpark, the city, the team. It’s a pretty good team and has a lot of Dominicans, and it was really impressive for me and really caught my eye.”
On Monday, Soto hit a high fly ball to left field in whipping winds. He sat back for a moment to watch it, thinking the ball was headed over the Green Monster, but instead it scraped off the wall and he settled for a single. He noted the confines of Fenway are unique, but that’s what he likes about the park.
“It was a little windy, I feel like if it wasn’t as windy, I would have gotten some more of the ball,” he said. “I feel it’s fun when you hit the ball and hit the Green Monster. That’s part of it. Sometimes it takes some of the homers away, but it’s actually helping you, too, to take away some of those fly outs (when the ball hits the wall), so it’s cool to see.”
Soto said he spoke often with former Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts while the two were teammates in San Diego.
“Xander Bogaerts told me a lot about this organization and how much he liked it and enjoyed being a part of the Red Sox,” Soto said.
Given the Red Sox had reduced payroll in recent years and had finished at or below .500 in four of the last five seasons, Soto said he wasn’t expecting the team to pursue him so hard, but was glad they did.
“I was surprised how hard they tried,” he said. “I was really impressed with how hard they tried, but there’s nothing else to say. I was really glad they did what they did.”
(Photo of Soto’s single on Monday: Maddie Malhotra / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images)
