For the Yankees, it's not just a regional rival, but a blood rival that looms as a serious threat in the Juan Soto derby.
The Red Sox are rumored to be ramping up efforts to lure a superstar hitter away from their historic AL East rivals, who are seen as legitimate candidates in the sweepstakes for the generational slugger.
The Red Sox are marketing Soto's fit in Boston, both at Fenway Park and in the franchise's history, sources said.
Soto is a pure hitter who uses all fields (not a dead pull hitter who frequents short porches in the Bronx). He enjoyed the best offensive season of his career in pinstripes this year, but his OPS on the road was 57 points higher than at home (1.017 vs. .960).
In Boston, the club's best hitters have historically been left-handed (Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, David Ortiz), and Soto's lazy reverse fly could be the double that hits the Green Monster.
Soto, who spent his first six seasons in the National League, has only played nine career games at Fenway and will likely be moved from right field to the smaller left field position defensively.
During a roundtable discussion two weeks ago in California with Red Sox co-owner Tom Warner in attendance, Soto and his agent Scott Boras said the team had a rich history with the Dominican star. also emphasized.
Ortiz and Pedro Martinez became legends in Beantown. Rafael Devers could be Soto's lineup protector.
Executives involved in the relatively early-stage bids expect some offers to end up at or above $600 million, easily a record value today. Probably. (Shohei Ohtani's much-delayed $700 million contract with the Dodgers is estimated to be worth between $430 million and $470 million.)
This kind of expense from the Red Sox would be surprising for a team that traded away Mookie Betts rather than sign him to a long-term contract. The company has drastically reduced its payroll costs starting in 2020, spending about $120 million less than the Yankees last season. On a related note, they have advanced to the postseason in one of the past six seasons, including finishing last in the AL East three times.
Perhaps the Red Sox and controlling owner John Henry decided to wake up during a hectic period.
Bidding for Soto has begun, with officials confirming at least five teams are participating: the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers.
All five teams are believed to be in the running, although New York's two teams are officially considered favorites. The Red Sox were viewed as a prospect, but maybe they don't see themselves that way.
It's also possible that Soto could be sold as the only face of the franchise, but the Yankees (due to Aaron Judge), Mets (Francisco Lindor), Dodgers (Ohtani, etc.), and perhaps the Blue Jays (due to Vladimir Guerrero) It will be more difficult for juniors). (He may become a free agent after next season.)
The Red Sox can also make a case for being a team on the rise, with three of MLB Pipeline's top 10 prospects in baseball.
Coach Soto is known to have asked each club about their training system at his joining press conference.
The Yankees are currently the team with the most losses as they pursue one of the most attractive hitters to ever hit the open market.
Club owner Hal Steinbrenner & Co. is facing the most pressure since mortgaging part of its future for Soto's services last winter.
They had a great season and were rewarded with a World Series appearance, three wins short, but they don't want to be forced into a Plan B that doesn't include Soto.
The Mets have the most money, and their highly motivated owner, Steve Cohen, can outbid anyone for the 26-year-old talent, who is considered a generational talent.
They made a surprise NLCS appearance and are well-managed under David Stearns.
Edward Rodgers' deep-pocketed Blue Jays have been unable to lure players like Ohtani and other superstars to Toronto, and after several disappointing seasons and offseasons, they have shown serious interest. .
The Dodgers' interest is genuine, but they don't like bidding wars, and several of their star players are open to relative bargains.
While there is some public skepticism about whether Soto would be interested in returning to the West Coast, sources close to Soto say he loves living in San Diego and had no particular geographic preference. That's what it means.
