The Boston Red Sox turned a corner in player acquisition trends this offseason after years of notable inactivity.

Juan Soto set the standard of the offseason and the Red Sox dove in along with powerhouse offers from the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Soto eventually selected the Mets on a 15-year deal for $765 million.

Soto’s super-agent Scott Boras joined NESN’s “310 To Left” podcast and shared insight with Tom Caron and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier into the star outfielder’s conversations with the Red Sox.

“I think that everyone involved thought that Juan could perform at high levels at Fenway,” Boras shared. “What we were looking for was execution and the ability to perform at high levels. Play in a market where the ownership was committed to winning. We had broad discussions about that. It was something where certainly the Red Sox were in the final rounds of this. Juan and his family made a decision that definitely included a few of the things that were most important to him. That being a ballpark that he hit well in and saw the ball well in. Boston was certainly one of those.”

Although the Red Sox did not sign Soto, the pursuit of him set the tone for a refreshingly aggressive offseason. Boston did not back off from impact additions and went to make improvements for the roster.

Boston made a decisive trade in a prospect haul for ace Garrett Crochet and won the waiting game just days before spring training started to sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Both players have excelled for the Red Sox and most of the team’s new players can say the same in 2025.

Despite Soto not wearing a Red Sox uniform, he became a sparkplug to get Boston back on track in aggressive roster building this winter.