Boston’s taxing pursuit of Juan Soto is over. (Mets)

CKDexterHaven

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Dec 19, 2023
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Telling the Sox a number means he’s canceling NYM/NYY bidding from that point forward. If everyone has been saying Cohen will go +50m or whatever, why would the player/agent stop the process before teams have bowed out? That would be Soto saying X is enough—I really want to play for You, regardless of what the true ceiling might be.

Doesnt the player have to get to a point where people are leaving the contest to at least be able to guessgauge an approximate ceiling? Then he has a better idea how much he’s conceding to get his preferred destination. And he has to have a preference. I’m guessing his preference is Sox, Yanks, LA, Mets, in that order, but he’s resigned to possibly having to choose Mets because the gap will be significant. Maybe, though, the higher they all go the less the difference makes? [Crossies]

re Henry…. Maybe his presence isn’t ’necessary,‘ but I have to ask—if you were Henry, why wouldn’t you want to be there? You’re possibly spending 700 million and handcuffing your franchise to a single deal, you are ostensibly a fan of the game and of this particular player…. Why don’t you engineer a sitdown with the guy? It‘s his new toy. If I’m buying a guitar, ideally I get to sit with it for a while and not just buy it online.

Also… I know some people absolutely would take it personally, that the Honcho didn’t find/make the time to meet. How big of a thing it is depends—on the person and also on the other compensating factors. But if you’re really trying to get this guy, why wouldn’t you make this effort?
 
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SouthernBoSox

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Jul 23, 2005
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Totally agree.
I tend to agree with you. And btw, this is what they should do. You can’t sit around and wait if a guy isn’t going come here.

As an aside, Carrabis hinted at a different free agent signing with the Sox soon on Baseball is Dead, which would line up with the team moving a different direction.
 

BigSoxFan

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There aren’t too many FAs who would generate much buzz from a disappointed post-Soto fan base. If Soto remains in NYC, as expected, Sox had better line up Fried or Burnes pretty quickly or it could get ugly from a PR standpoint, especially given the Chapman signing.

You simply cannot pretend to be big spenders hanging in the Soto chase and then settle for a top FA of Willy Adames or something.
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
I tend to agree with you. And btw, this is what they should do. You can’t sit around and wait if a guy isn’t going come here.

As an aside, Carrabis hinted at a different free agent signing with the Sox soon on Baseball is Dead, which would line up with the team moving a different direction.
I don’t think what Jared is alluding to means Sox are moving in another direction from Soto.
 

OCD SS

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There’s no one really to pivot to. I’m not aware of another generational hitter who’s HOF bound and only 26 available on the FA market. All the messaging was that the Sox could spend on one of the FA pitching class AND Soto. So they should still be able to go and sign a SP, and make whatever other minor moves they may swing.

For better or worse there isn’t much worth signing on the FA market for hitters. Bregman and Adames both look like opportunities to lock up a lot of money in a declining player.
 

Jake Peavy's Demons

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As an aside, Carrabis hinted at a different free agent signing with the Sox soon on Baseball is Dead, which would line up with the team moving a different direction.
I wonder if it's Max Fried. Perhaps the speculation on only trading for a SP instead of signing one was misdirection.
 

Mike473

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Jul 31, 2006
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Oh don't get me wrong - if this is indicative that the Sox didn't get Soto, I'm going to be bummed. But by all accounts, the Sox made an extremely competitive offer to the biggest free agent on the market and went blow-for-blow with the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees. I think our participation in the Soto sweepstakes marks a shift in the F.O.'s mentality. I don't see us doing this in 2020-2024.

Now, that sentiment could be rendered moot by us missing every other free agent target and running the '24 roster back out there. I don't think that'll be the case.
I don't think that will be the case either. They will no doubt improve the team.
 

TrotNixonRing

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Jul 28, 2023
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If no Soto and no Teoscar, Duran/Rafaela/Abreu isn’t bad with Ref and maybe Campbell (if Grissom is viable at 2B) behind them if the pitching is studly. The IF and OF options available don’t seem like big upgrades but the pitching upgrades do.

Am I missing a really big upgrade at OF out there after JS and TH?
 

CJ Mosca

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Nov 29, 2024
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If no Soto and no Teoscar, Duran/Rafaela/Abreu isn’t bad with Ref and maybe Campbell (if Grissom is viable at 2B) behind them if the pitching is studly. The IF and OF options available don’t seem like big upgrades but the pitching upgrades do.

Am I missing a really big upgrade at OF out there after JS and TH?
I think Santander would be an upgrade if no Soto nor Teoscar
 

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
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Sep 20, 2005
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Low OBP 30+ year-old just screams “don’t do it” to me. Power is nice but I’m staying away unless it’s a really short 1-2 year deal.
Yep. Would prefer bringing back ONeill to 5 years for Santander.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
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If no Soto and no Teoscar, Duran/Rafaela/Abreu isn’t bad with Ref and maybe Campbell (if Grissom is viable at 2B) behind them if the pitching is studly. The IF and OF options available don’t seem like big upgrades but the pitching upgrades do.

Am I missing a really big upgrade at OF out there after JS and TH?
Not a free agent, and it depends on your definition of "big," but the Cubs are allegedly shopping Seiya Suzuki.
 

Yo La Tengo

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Nov 21, 2005
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I think it came from the Red Sox. I also think it sets the “soft landing” for it not happening. Those both make total sense.

Beyond that, I think it’s a great move by Boston. We all assume (or at least I do) that the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers will always have the financial means to out bid the Red Sox if they want the same player. Doesn’t excuse the Red Sox from spending, they have a ton of money, but at some point if Bill Gates and his $162b fortune is in a bidding war with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, no matter how committed he is, Gates will lose.

They‘ve (I assume) made a very good offer, and lets just say it was $625m, and then Cohen says, fine $675m. Boras comes back and asks the Sox for a counter, and they know Cohen can always outbid them. Make it known that you want the player and ask what the number is to get a deal done.

If its all and only about the money, he’s going to be a Met, a Yankee or a Dodger and there is nothing FSG can do about that. If there is a number at which he would agree to be a Red Sox, find it out and if not, you know you have your answer and can move on to other players.

Its a power move that (to me) has Theo‘s fingerprints all over it. I‘m glad they’re doing it.

(Also, it almost certainly won’t work and he will be a Met or far worse a Yankee. But this is also their only Lloyd Christmas odds chance to land the player.)
This sums it up. If you know you're losing, take your best shot.
 
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cantor44

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Dec 23, 2020
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It seems to me that Soto will sign with the organization he most wants to play with for the next decade or so. That might seem ridiculously obvious. What I mean is, maybe the objective of the bidding war, at this point, is about getting the most from that team, rather than simply getting the most money regardless of the team. Maybe he wants to partner with Lindor. Maybe he loves the Yankee tradition and the big city lights. Maybe he wants to be the next great Dominican Red Sox Star, and likes the team's farm pipeline, etc. If he loves playing for the Yankees, 50 Million from more from Cohen, over 13 years, when he'll be insanely rich regardless (let's not forget the millions he'll make in endorsements) might not be determinative.
 

cheekydave

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Im surprised no one has created a Poll to check the temperature of what people here think/hope will transpire.
I dont know how, I'm a druid.
 

catomatic

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Jul 16, 2005
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This gambit puts me in mind of eBay’s “Buy Now” tab, that preempts the bidding process, places a favorable-to-the-seller premium on the product but gets things wrapped up more expediently. Maybe Bres or Theo got their inspiration from that little blue rectangle.
 

nick6

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Oct 31, 2024
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It seems to me that Soto will sign with the organization he most wants to play with for the next decade or so. That might seem ridiculously obvious. What I mean is, maybe the objective of the bidding war, at this point, is about getting the most from that team, rather than simply getting the most money regardless of the team. Maybe he wants to partner with Lindor. Maybe he loves the Yankee tradition and the big city lights. Maybe he wants to be the next great Dominican Red Sox Star, and likes the team's farm pipeline, etc. If he loves playing for the Yankees, 50 Million from more from Cohen, over 13 years, when he'll be insanely rich regardless (let's not forget the millions he'll make in endorsements) might not be determinative.
... or maybe he wants to partner with Vladdy to comprise the greatest 1-2 ever, greater than Papi-Manny
 

TapeAndPosts

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Jul 21, 2006
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Carlos Mendoza’s son “possibly” leaked the mets offer on tiktok
View: https://twitter.com/gingersnaphyde/status/1864899627662602596?s=46

“do you know who i am” says the son of an MLB manager…
Absolutely amazing. Kid's twelve, he's got two videos on TikTok and one of them is him playing catch with Francisco Lindor, and he's just out there leaking info on the biggest contract offer in sports history and being all "Just watch and see if you don't believe me." WHERE IS AVERAGE MICK NOW??
 

soxhop411

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Dec 4, 2009
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Absolutely amazing. Kid's twelve, he's got two videos on TikTok and one of them is him playing catch with Francisco Lindor, and he's just out there leaking info on the biggest contract offer in sports history and being all "Just watch and see if you don't believe me." WHERE IS AVERAGE MICK NOW??
Match it.
View: https://twitter.com/mattgross87/status/1864917008858443910?s=46
If I'm the Sox and I know the Mets' offer to Soto is $700M, I'm coming in at $710,550,500. Why that figure? Because it matches the exact longitude numbers of left field at Fenway (his potential new home) with a longitude line that happens to share part of his homeland in the DR.
 

Auger34

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Apr 23, 2010
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As a fan, I really don’t care. Offer $1 more than the next highest offer. You will never catch me complaining on here about John Henry (or Tom Werner or Redbird) losing money. They all have way too much fucking money as it is.