It’s time for the Red Sox to prove they’re actually serious
The Boston Red Sox’ failed pursuit of free agent Juan Soto proved that they’re serious about this off-season. Or did it?
Two things can be true for Red Sox fans on Monday morning, after news broke Sunday night that Soto ultimately chose the highest bidder in the New York Mets. They can be at peace with the Sox coming up short on this one player, and they can also be fed up with the Sox coming up short on players.
Now comes the real test for John Henry and the Red Sox. Are they serious, or did they just want to look serious?
Too many times in recent years have the Sox been the subject of mere “interest.” They’re the all-time champion of being “in” on free agents who ended up donning a different uniform. It’s as if the front office simply wants to appear that they tried to spend the money necessary to return the team to true World Series contention, but they didn’t want to actually spend it.
MORE… The Juan Soto sweepstakes has reached a conclusion
In the case of Soto, it’s as if Henry knew he had Mets owner Steve Cohen in his back pocket. He could plop $700 million on the table, and Cohen would simply come back over the top. Hell, maybe he knew he could go to $780 million, to top Soto’s 15-year average annual value by $1 million, and Cohen would just break the $800 million barrier.
It’s a welcome convenience for an ownership group that can now say they really, really tried to get their guy. But it’s an all-too familiar result for a Red Sox fanbase that is desperate for true star power, starved for a team to actually make a real push in the standings come springtime.
Which brings us to Monday, and the rest of the off-season in front of the team. There’s still plenty of time and plenty of other big-name free agents available. And those are two things we’ve been saying every year for too long. It’s time for the Red Sox to follow through on the promise left behind by their quest to sign Soto.
As much as nobody should turn their nose up at Soto, a generational hitter who is the closest thing to Barry Bonds that the game has seen since he retired, he’s not what the Red Sox really needed. The Sox need high-end starting pitching above any spot in the lineup. So, if they’re actually serious, they’ll come away with at least one out of Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. Or if they’re in the trading mood, the White Sox’ Garrett Crochet would qualify.
The Red Sox don’t need any more left-handed power, either. Their need for an impactful right-handed bat has been glaring. So, if they’re serious, they’ll sign Teoscar Hernandez. Reports indicate they may target Alex Bregman. Pete Alonso is out there, but he’s a Met, so Cohen will probably just give him a room full of gold a la Scrooge McDuck.
It’s hard to be unforgiving of the Red Sox for losing to the Mets on Soto. It didn’t have to be specifically Soto. But it’s a bad sign. It’s just another indicator that the Red Sox are satisfied to merely give off the appearance of seriousness. Soto is just an extreme example of Henry’s ability to go right up to that spending line without actually having to sign the check. He’s got this thing down to an art form. It’s breathtaking, at this point.
That is, of course, unless the Red Sox actually are serious this time. But they’ll need to make the necessary signing(s) to prove that. Or else, Soto is just the beginning of more of the same for a front office that has a lot of fans to win back this winter.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
