Plenty of Boston Red Sox fans were confident about the team’s chances to land Juan Soto, one of the newest Mets, in free agency.
Their conviction was bolstered by Red Sox legend David Ortiz. The three-time World Series champion assisted in Boston’s pursuit of Soto. He hyped up the city, the Red Sox organization and its history of stars from the Dominican Republic to Soto. His recruiting efforts fell short of Steve Cohen’s bottomless pockets in the end.
“We wanted him in Boston,” Ortiz said, per the New York Post. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
Soto signed the richest contract in sports history — a 15-year, $756 million pact with extras and incentives that could bring the deal to over $800 million — with Cohen’s Mets and the Red Sox didn’t compare financially. Boston’s highest offer peaked at $700 million, a factor in which Ortiz had no say. It was long speculated that Soto would sign wherever he could get the highest check, and one of the New York teams delivered.
Not even David Ortiz’s sales pitch could convince Juan Soto to sign with the Red Sox
Despite Soto’s deal with New York, Ortiz will continue to support the young Dominican native, as he does with plenty of other countrymen in the league. Ortiz and Soto’s family are also personal friends and neighbors, so their relationship may be a bit more personal than some of the others.
“It’s well deserved, what he got, and we’re gonna continue cheering for him. He’s a great kid. You guys are gonna enjoy Soto for a while here,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz emphasized that Soto could’ve been another Big Papi-like character in the Red Sox clubhouse. Soto gets on base at an astronomical clip, mashed a career-high 41 homers at hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, and could’ve been the leader of this Red Sox team.
But, even with Ortiz’s help in Boston, the Sox couldn’t get the job done. Cohen made Soto an offer he couldn’t refuse.
