Manager David Ortiz wanted to bring Juan Soto to the Red Sox before the star outfielder signed with the Mets on a blockbuster 15-year, $765 million contract.
“We wanted to keep him in Boston,” Ortiz said Saturday. “Unfortunately, it didn't work out.”
Ortiz threw at least one pitch to Soto. Speaking on behalf of the Red Sox last month on the “Baseball Isn't Boring” podcast, he said: He's going to have Coach Papi in his corner. ”
Instead, Soto spent one season as a Yankee before signing the richest contract in baseball history to go to the Mets, settling for a crosstown battle between the Yankees and Mets.
Asked if he was surprised Soto chose Queens over the Bronx, Ortiz replied, It's always business and he has to go where it's best for him and his family. ”
The Yankees came close to keeping Soto, offering him $760 million over 16 years.
The Mets offered him a contract that included a $75 million signing bonus and an escalator that could reach a total of $805 million.
“It's amazing,” Ortiz said of Soto's record-setting deal, which came after interest from the Blue Jays and Dodgers, as well as the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox. “He deserves what he got and we're going to continue to support him. He's a great kid. You guys are going to enjoy Soto for a while here.”
Ortiz and Soto are from the Dominican Republic, and Ortiz said he knows Soto's family “very well.”
Ortiz handed out gifts Saturday afternoon in Inwood on behalf of SOMOS Community Care, a nonprofit representing neighborhood doctors.
Now, Soto is part of a team that is making an unexpected run to the NLCS after leading the Yankees to their first World Series appearance in 15 years, with the Mets losing in six games to the eventual champion Dodgers.
“I think that's why you play baseball, to be a championship player and win as much as you can,” Soto said Thursday at his induction press conference at Citi Field. “At the end of the day, you can have all this stuff, but if you don’t win, it’s kind of hard.”
“He's 26 years old, but he's mature,” Ortiz said. “He's smart. I wish him the best.”
Since losing Soto, the Yankees have strengthened their rotation by signing left-hander Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal and pivoting to becoming a new closer in a trade for Milwaukee's Devin Williams. was moved.
Meanwhile, Boston acquired left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet from the White Sox.
Third baseman Alex Bregman, first basemen Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, and outfielder Anthony Santander remain potential options on the Yankees' free agent market.
The Red Sox have only made the playoffs once since winning the World Series in 2018, and are expected to be active for the rest of the offseason.
