The Juan Soto sweepstakes are getting down to the wire, and one team wants to ensure it has a chance to land the top prize of the offseason.
While the Red Sox have increased their offer to at least $600 million, they have interest in another meeting with Soto and agent Scott Boras so they can hit land on a number that can get the outfielder to sign in Boston, according to the Boston Globe.
This desire to have another meeting, according to the outlet’s Thursday reporting, comes from the fact that Boston has heard rumors that Mets owner Steve Cohen could offer to go $50 million above other teams, though it’s not clear if Cohen will actually do this.
Nevertheless, it’s not clear if the meeting will even happen, the Globe has noted.
This comes after The Post’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman reported that Soto is expected to get a deal of at least $600 million and could even set an MLB record for current contract value.
One baseball executive told Sherman this week that they view the Red Sox as “serious” bidders in the Soto derby.
“Here is why I think they are serious: They have disappointed their fan base so much the last few years by not being in big deals or finishing third for a player, that to be this public about their interest, can they really do that to their fans if they are not in with both feet?”
Bidders for Soto include the Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Blue Jays, and there is an expectation that Soto will sign by the time the Winter Meetings end next Thursday.
Soto, at 26 years old, is hitting free agency at an age before players generally do in baseball, making this frenzy for the five-time Silver Slugger winner all the more unique.
Over seven years, he has a .953 OPS thanks in part to the highest active on-base percentage (.421) in the big leagues since his call-up in 2018 as a 19-year-old.
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