The Red Sox aren’t talking money just yet.
In a reported three-hour Thursday meeting with slugger Juan Soto in California, the Boston contingent of president Sam Kennedy, chairman Tom Werner, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora focused on getting to know the coveted free-agent outfielder, according to MassLive.
The BoSox instead introduced their historic franchise and ballpark to the 26-year-old, who is seeking what is expected to be a historic long-term $600 million-plus deal this winter.
The Red Sox pitch focused on its crop of prospects and plan for the future, with Soto wondering about their commitment to winning and player evaluation methods.
Soto was said to be “impressed” by the “productive” meeting, though it remains early in the process with the Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays expected to be in hot pursuit.
In his first season in The Bronx, Soto swatted a career-high 41 home runs and added 109 RBIs with a .288 average, helping lead the team to the World Series.
The rival Red Sox got plenty of close-up looks at the Dominican star, and used their history of his countrymen as a selling point.
One of them, David Ortiz, wasn’t in the California meeting, but made it clear he’d love to see Soto in Beantown.
“If there was one player in baseball who could be the next David Ortiz in Boston, it is Juan Soto,” the retired slugger told WEEI on Friday. “He’s that good. He’s got great makeup.”
What Soto brings to the table is well documented at this point.
He’s a four-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger winner and a World Series champion with a career .285/.421/.532 slash line and 201 homers over seven MLB seasons.
Wherever he ends up, he’ll be the centerpiece of a franchise.
“If there is a guy I would like to build a team around it would have to be Juan Soto,” Ortiz said. “Juan Soto speaks Spanish and he speaks English so he can communicate with both American and Latin players. He has that good vibe. I tell you what, the Yankees went that far this year because of him. He changed everything for them there. When you have a top player doing the things that he does, everybody follows up. That’s what they did over there. At the end of the day, he has incredible makeup.”
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