Who doesn’t want Juan Soto? There are, namely, seven teams interested in bagging a deal with him, but let’s be real—the Scott Boras client is supposedly settling for no less than $600 million—making him out of reach for many. While the two New York teams are frontrunners to get him, there’s a dark horse in this race—the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston team, who were unwilling to spend much for the past few seasons, has decided to go heavy this time around. They’ll do what it takes to get the diamond of the off-season to their tea, as affirmed by that 3-hour-long meeting with Soto. Where they discussed everything other than money. However, while the meeting was quoted to be fruitful, it might not be exactly as great as they would have hoped for—given the owner wasn’t even present.

Did the Red Sox miss their chance at Juan Soto?

There are two big criteria for Juan Soto choosing a team: firstly, it should be a winning squad, and then, of course, a well-paying deal. While the money aspect is something that the Red Sox can fulfill, the same cannot be said of the other. Now, another factor has come through, which Jon Heyman described in an article in the New York Post, and Soto’s need to have a rapport with the club owners he plans to be with for 15 years.

“Soto is seeking a strong rapport with whatever owner he’s partnering with for up to the next 15 seasons,” Heyman reported. Now, this is bad news for the Boston Red Sox; if personal connection is what Soto wanted to form, they missed out big time to make an initial impression—in that meeting, while every other team owner was present, the Red Sox owner, John Henry, was not. Although Tom Werner was there representing the Red Sox’s ownership, it might not be the same.

Even though the meeting they had with the Red Sox for three hours, where they discussed the Dominican rich heritage they have, would have all meant nothing if Juan Soto didn’t even get to talk it out with the owner of the team.

Hal Steinbrenner makes an impression on Soto

Whilst John Henry might not have gotten the memo about Soto wanting to meet with owners personally, the rest of the teams sure did. Steve Cohen of the New York Mets was there personally at the meeting, and so was Edward Rogers of the Blue Jays. But the one who came out making a great first impression is we hear Hal Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees.

According to Jon Heyman, Steinbrenner made quite an impression on Juan Soto. “Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner made a ‘great pitch’ to megastar free agent Juan Soto,” reported Heyman. The New York Post writer also mentioned that during their meeting in California, they addressed a critical gap in their relationship. Though Soto had developed close bonds with previous owners like Ted Lerner of the Nationals and Peter Seilder of the Padres, his year with the New York Yankees lacked personal connection.

However, Steinbrenner explained that the distance wasn’t indifference but an effort not to distract Soto’s routine. This clarification, along with the Yankees emphasizing their unmatched revenue, tradition, and brand strength, left Soto feeling more positive about the New York Yankees mentioned Heyman. Well, relationships only go so far and the Yankees must still have a competitive offer to keep Soto in pinstripes.

Do you think he will remain in the Bronx? Let us know in the comments below.