DALLAS – As the baseball world descends on the Hilton Anatole on Sunday before the annual Winter Meetings, there is an industry-wide feeling that Juan Soto’s free agency decision is imminent. And so far, there’s no reason to believe it Red Sox have been removed.
As of early Sunday afternoon, Boston is believed to remain in the mix for Soto with negotiations between the superstar and all interested teams moving toward a conclusion. It’s unclear whether final offers have been sought or submitted, although a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Sunday morning that all parties are “at an interesting point in the talks.” At least some high officials of the Boras Corporation have already arrived at the hotel where the winter meetings are held. So have the decision makers on virtually every team, including at least one senior Red Sox official. By the end of Sunday, the entire baseball world will have arrived in Texas.
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One industry source described Boston’s efforts in Soto’s pursuit, to this point, as “an A+ effort.” But even if the Red Sox have thrown Soto into something the Aaron Judge-led Yankees and Francisco Lindor-led Mets can’t, being the unquestioned face of their team, which the reserved Rafael Devers probably wouldn’t mind at all — There is still a sense that Soto is likely to sign for the largest total guarantee. The industry has long believed the Mets would make a Godfather offer to land Soto, no matter what it takes. But on Sunday, there is palpable fear among interested teams that the Yankees may be in that same boat, too. The Yankees, of course, offer Soto something the other interested teams — the Red Sox, Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers — can’t: familiarity and comfort after a successful first year in the Bronx.
Saturday night, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that both New York teams had raised their offers to the $710-730 million range, beating expectations at the start of the winter. Heyman noted that Soto was weighing “five huge offers,” implying that no one, including the Jays or Dodgers, had been ruled out. Details of the Red Sox’s latest offer remain scarce, but Heyman dubbed it a “very competitive offer.”
In any case, baseball should have its answer very soon.