Juan Soto eliminating teams, Boston Red Sox reportedly remain "serious contender"
BOSTON -- While a Juan Soto decision isn't imminent, the top free-agent in baseball is inching closer to choosing his next team. He's now in the process of eliminating clubs from the mix, according to his agent Scott Boras.
Boras didn't name which teams remain in the running for Soto -- or teams that are no longer under consideration -- but the Boston Red Sox remain in the "serious contenders" category for the four-time All-Star, according to various reports. The Red Sox are among the teams that have offered the future Hall of Famer a contract worth more than $600 million, which is the floor for Soto and Boras, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
Juan Soto eliminating teams
Boras was in Los Angeles on Tuesday as one of his other big-name free agents, starting pitcher Blake Snell, was introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's where Boras said that Soto has begun eliminating teams from the running.
"When you're going through these things, he's just got a lot of information to meld through," said Boras. "We've had meetings with a number of franchises. He's begun the process of eliminating teams and doing things. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we'll see, but I don't think anything is imminent in the near future."
The Red Sox reportedly offered Soto a 13-year, $625 million deal, according to Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital, though they may have upped that offer as other teams submitted their own.
In addition to Boston, the New York Yankees, New York Mets. Toronto Blue Jays, and the Dodgers make up the "serious contenders" list for Soto. The Mets are considered the favorites, as owner Steven Cohen has deep enough pockets to match any bid for the superstar slugger. The Yankees would love to bring Soto back after his lone season in the Bronx resulted in a trip to the World Series, but are reportedly very concerned about the rival Red Sox, according to NJ.com beat writer Randy Miller.
When could Juan Soto make his decision?
Baseball's Winter Meetings begin in Dallas on Sunday, and the expectation is that Soto will pick a new team before the meetings wrap up on Dec. 12. Some insiders believe that a decision could come before the Winter Meetings begin.
It sounds like Boston fans -- and fans of the other contending clubs -- could remain on high alert for another week.
Who is Juan Soto?
The 26-year-old outfielder is one of the best hitters in baseball, with a career slash line of .285/.421/.532 and five Silver Slugger awards over his seven seasons. He won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019, and is coming off a 41-homer season for the Yankees where he helped New York make it to the Fall Classic.
