Red Sox, Juan Soto reportedly had ‘productive’ three-hour meeting

Since the intent of this meeting was based on gathering information, the Red Sox and Soto’s camp didn’t discuss contract details, nor did they present him with a formal offer, as McAdam wrote.

Other teams that have scheduled visits with the four-time All-Star include the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Mets. The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have also been reported as two clubs with significant interest in this winter’s prized possession, but neither have meetings on the books yet.

The Blue Jays were said to be first in line to meet with Soto’s camp, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier this week, with the Red Sox expected to follow. As such, it seems president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins likely sat down with Soto and Boras on Wednesday or Thursday earlier in the day.

Though the five-time Silver Slugger is widely expected to remain in New York, either re-signing with the Yankees or heading across town to the Mets, Toronto is reportedly a major threat to thwart those plans. The franchise narrowly missed out on landing Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani last winter and appears heavily invested in pursuing another generational talent for a second straight off-season.

Soto is coming off a career season in the Bronx, where he slugged 41 home runs and drove in 109 while slashing .288/.419/.569 across 157 games. He also posted a 180 wRC+, 80 per cent better than league average (100), finishing as an eight-win player per fWAR — the highest of his seven-year major-league career.

Most industry experts believe the 26-year-old outfielder will ultimately command a deal that surpasses $600 million and spans beyond 14 seasons, becoming the richest modern-day and longest contract in the sport’s history.