New rumors from individuals linked to Juan Soto suggest the Boston Red Sox are now the favorites to win the free agent sweepstakes for the superstar outfielder.

There is no bigger story in baseball right now than the future of four-time All-Star Juan Soto. Before the 2024 season, the expectation was that the outfielder would get a big raise in MLB free agency. However, after playing at an MVP level this year, he could now land one of the biggest contracts in baseball history.

Related: New York Yankees rumor reveals where team’s current offer ranks among Juan Soto suitors and it’s horrifying

From the start, the assumption always was that his current team, the New York Yankees, would have the best chance of winning his free agent sweepstakes. However, as the weeks have gone by they are no longer the clear-cut favorite.

The New York Mets and their billionaire owner are allegedly willing to outbid any team in the league for the 26-year-old. The Toronto Blue Jays are rumored to be making a hard push for Soto. Just like they did for Shohei Ohtani last year. But in recent weeks, there have been many rumblings about the Boston Red Sox being a serious contender in the chase.

The organization is reportedly very interested in getting back to being a playoff team in 2025. And is willing to do what it takes financially to bring the All-Star to Beantown. Now, sources out of the Dominican Republic, Soto’s home country, are suggesting they would be stunned if he doesn’t sign with the Red Sox.

• Juan Soto stats (2024): 288 AVG, .419 OBP, .569 SLG, 41 HR, 109 RBI, 128 R

Word out of DR is Juan Soto is headed to the Boston Red Sox

“I have consulted many influential people linked to baseball in the DR. And most tell me that Juan Soto will be a Red Sox,” Spanish-language Boston Red Sox insider Marino Pepen reported on Sunday night. This week looks interesting.”

The word around the league is that Soto is expected to make his decision during the MLB general manager meetings. Which goes down this week in San Antonio, Texas. The Red Sox certainly have a similar prestige to the Yankees. However, what makes Boston different than their AL East rival is their deep ties to Dominican baseball.

• Juan Soto contract (Projection): 12 years, $610 million

A generation of young players saw Dominican legends like Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez star in Boston. And help the franchise end its championship drought in 2004. Obviously, these are just MLB rumors and must be taken with a huge grain of salt. But these are just the latest rumblings in the industry pointing to a merger between Soto and the Red Sox.

Related: MLB insider offers bold prediction for Boston Red Sox offseason, 2 big moves could be coming