The Red Sox reportedly were prepared to make a very, very substantial commitment to Juan Soto.
Boston appeared to make a serious run at Soto, but the superstar outfielder ultimately agreed to join the New York Mets on Sunday night. Steve Cohen and company went above and beyond to land Soto, who reportedly is set to sign the richest contract in the history of professional sports.
While the Red Sox didn’t go to the same levels as the Mets, they seemingly gave Soto something to think about as he mulled over his decision. Audacy’s Rob Bradford detailed Boston’s push for the four-time All-Star in a column published Monday.
“According to sources, Los Angeles’ offer was over $600 million but not into the $700 million threshold the other four clubs existed at. The Red Sox? They were offering a 15-year deal that would have paid in the neighborhood of $700 million,” Bradford wrote. “The Sox did contemplate extending the years offered to as many as 17 years, with Soto’s age (26) making such an approach palatable.”
More years probably would not have swayed Soto. The Yankees reportedly presented the Dominican phenom with a 16-year offer, but their framework offered a lower average annual value than what the Mets brought to the table. In the end, Soto went with the offer that featured the most total money and highest AAV.
So, while the Red Sox rose to the occasion to some degree, it sounds like Cohen was in a battle that he wasn’t going to lose under any circumstances.
