MLB insider claims "Red Sox don't have Francisco Lindor, Aaron Judge," asserting "Juan Soto will have to be David Ortiz" if free agent picks Boston
Over the last few days, reports have emerged tying Juan Soto to the Boston Red Sox. The club, having not made the postseason last year, is in an extremely competitive division, so going all-in to acquire a generational star like Soto could go a long way in making them competitive next season.
However, MLB insider Dan O'Dowd believes that while landing Soto might be beneficial, but his ability to excel is up in the air. He referenced Soto's last season with the Yankees where he excelled because AL MVP Aaron Judge was hitting behind him. O'Dowd asserted that if Soto lands in Boston, he'd have to be their next David Ortiz.
"Soto would be a bit isolated in Boston compared to other situations," O'Dowd said (13:40 onwards) on New York Posts Sports. "They don’t have a Lindor like the Mets or a Judge like the Yankees. Soto thrived in New York because Aaron Judge took some of the pressure off him. Similarly, Lindor takes the pressure off him with the Mets.
"In Boston, I don’t see anyone taking that pressure off him. He’d have to become the next David Ortiz there, and I’m not sure that’s the best environment for him to excel."
Dan O'Dowd suggests moves Red Sox could make if they don't land Juan Soto
Five teams are reportedly in the bidding war for Juan Soto. They are the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays and the Red Sox.
Dan O'Dowd said that while he understands that going after Soto is a much safer investment than signing someone like Corbin Burnes who could get injured, the Red Sox have many good players who, with better offseason acquisition, could get better even without Soto's arrival.
"I could see them going after someone like Alex Bregman if they don’t sign Soto and trying to get Devers to move to first base, though I think that will be a battle to pull off," O'Dowd said.
"But I do see them continuing to be aggressive with position players. For example, I think they might try to trade some of their younger position players, maybe for someone like Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. Personally, I think that young positional player group is phenomenal."
It's similar for the other teams as well who miss out on Juan Soto, with the outfielder expected to make a decision soon.