How Alex Cora Feels Following Red Sox’s Meeting With Juan Soto

The Boston Red Sox are on a mission to make it known that the franchise doesn’t intend to miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season in 2025.

Talk is talk, but Boston’s intentions became evident through a three-hour-long presentation to free agent outfielder Juan Soto on Thursday which, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam, left the 26-year-old “impressed.” The Red Sox aren’t the only team involved in the offseason chase for Soto as the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are among competitors said to be in the running.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who didn’t confirm his reported attendance, touched vaguely on the organization’s meet-and-greet with Soto.

“I can’t say I went or not,” Cora said Saturday, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Obviously, there’s a process in place. We’re trying to gather as much information as possible. This started at the GM Meetings. I’ve been traveling a lot the last six years since I got this job but it’s part of the process.”

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MLB agents, including Scott Boras, who represents Soto, have suggested that Boston isn’t approaching this offseason like the past few. Word on the street is the Red Sox are willing to get back to their winning ways. If interested in adding a hitter of Soto’s caliber, it’ll require a hefty asking price — some projections claim Soto could earn over $500 million and possibly $600 million. Soto crushed a career-high 41 home runs debuting with the Yankees last season, before falling short in the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Soto isn’t committed to returning to the Big Apple yet until other teams interested in paying top dollar for the four-time All-Star have had their turn at the negotiation table. So far, the Red Sox and Blue Jays have made their pitches but that still leaves other potential suitors looking to snag the five-time Silver Slugger winner off the market.

Meanwhile, Cora feels optimistic about what’s to come in the next few months before the Red Sox convene in Fort Myers, Fla., for spring training.

“I think the talk (internally) has been more about the big league club instead of player development, and that’s a positive for the fan base,” Cora said, per Cotillo. “We have a plan in place. We know there’s certain aspects of the roster that we have to improve. I think we’re going to be very aggressive on that.”

Boston has also been linked to other hot-commodity free agents such as Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried this offseason.