The Boston Red Sox have patiently built an exciting young core, but could they shock the baseball world and make a splash in free agency this winter?
It might seem like the future of the Red Sox outfield is already secured, with All-Star Jarren Duran, exciting rookies Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, and top prospect Roman Anthony all under long-term commitments.
While Boston may not necessarily have a big fish on the free agent market, it’s never a bad idea to load the roster with superstars. And of all the superstars to ever hit the free agent market, this offseason features one of the youngest and most talented of all time.
New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto will be available to all 30 teams submitting their best offers this winter. And while the Red Sox aren’t at the top of most insiders’ list of Soto destinations, there’s one baseball writer who would obviously like to see it.
Terrence Jordan of FanSided put the Red Sox at the top of his list of “most likely destinations for Juan Soto” based solely on their entertainment value.
“Yankees fans hate the Red Sox, so there would be no greater insult to the Bronx Bombers and their loyal supporters than if Soto brought his talent to Fenway Park,” Jordan said.
Soto, 25, is well on his way to being inducted into the Hall of Fame. His .423 on-base percentage is the highest of any active player, and he has posted 35.9 Wins Above Replacement in seven major league seasons. If he can keep that up over the next decade, he’ll make any team that signs him very happy.
This season has been Soto’s best yet, as he has a career-high 1.047 OPS and is just one home run away from his previous career high of 35 with a quarter of the season still to play.
There’s no doubt that Boston’s signing of Soto would inject a dose of animosity that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has lacked in recent years, but would the Red Sox really spend the money to sign the young superstar?
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