Juan Soto nearly shipped up to Boston this past winter.
The Mets outfielder revealed Tuesday that the Red Sox were much closer to landing him in free agency over the offseason than previously believed.
“It was pretty fun, [the Red Sox] showed a lot of love,” Soto mentioned to The Athletic’s Red Sox beat writer Jen McCaffrey. “I truly appreciated what they did and what they brought to the table. It was really impressive, all that they offered. I definitely took the time to consider their offers and everything they had for me. Ultimately, we decided to go a different way.”
Reportedly, the Red Sox proposed a 15-year, $700 million contract to Soto before he eventually signed a $765 million deal of the same duration with the Mets after spending a season with the Yankees, their crosstown rivals.
During the Soto sweepstakes, the two New York teams were considered the primary contenders, but he shared with The Athletic that the Red Sox were also close to securing him.
“Yes, they really were right there, they were at the top of the list,” he said. “They were pushing really hard, but at the end of the day, I made decisions.”
Soto’s comments come during a rough stretch for the four-time All-Star, which started with a bad series against his former Yankees, as he went 1-for-10 at the plate.
His struggles went further under the microscope after not hustling out of the box on back-to-back days.
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said on his radio show on Monday that Soto is “very, very glum” around the Mets clubhouse.
On the same day, NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch reported that the “Mets’ hierarchy” was “concerned about Soto’s lack of enthusiasm for his new team.”
