"Sentiment is not going to be ultimate driver" - Red Sox insider claims David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez's Boston link can't sway Juan Soto
The Boston Red Sox have a history of hosting some of the best major league stars from the Dominican Republic and the club aims to add Juan Soto to that list. Hall of Famers including Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have all brought glory to Fenway Park during their time with the Red Sox.
Perhaps one of the most persuasive reasons for Soto to join the Red Sox could be the history of his fellow countrymen stars. However, as per MLB reporter Alex Speier, their history may not be the sole driver in Soto's final decision.
"Obviously, there is a cool history between the Red Sox and Dominican stars," Speier said Thursday on NESN. "The trio of Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz in Boston elevated the Red Sox to a very special position for generations of fans from the Dominican Republic.
"But sentiment is not going to be the ultimate driver in this process. Now, it’s about staying competitive in the final stretch of the bidding," he added.
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The Red Sox finds themselves in the middle of a bidding war joined by four other teams including the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, LA Dodgers and New York Yankees. All of them have reportedly offered Juan Soto a contract worth north of $600 million.
David Ortiz helping Red Sox to land Juan Soto
David Ortiz aka "Big Papi" is reportedly helping the Red Sox land Soto, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller. The three-time World Series champion has been vocal about Boston acquiring top free agents over the last few years and it seems he has taken it into his own hands to help the team get the prized free agent of this offseason.
“From what I’m hearing, Big Papi is playing a role in this and recruiting Soto hard,” Miller said on WFAN.
Another reason the Red Sox are pitching for Juan Soto is about their 37-foot-2-inch-high (11.33 m) left field Green Monster wall at Fenway Park. It has helped several Boston hitters to record great stats when it comes to home runs, possibly enticing Soto to use it to his benefit and, maybe one day, win an MVP title over the likes of former Bronx Bombers teammate Aaron Judge.
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