New Juan Soto Sweepstakes Report Encouraging For Red Sox

After an opening round of meetings, Juan Soto and his team apparently have started narrowing their scope on potential destinations.

Soto surely fielded several inquiries of varying levels when he officially hit the open market. That comes with the territory of being one of the best players in the sport. Soto, according to multiple reports, also held a series of meetings where he gained a better feel of what suitors could bring to the table.

The Soto sweepstakes reportedly are about to enter Phase 2, where teams will present actual offers with financial terms to the 26-year-old. And according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, only a short list of clubs will give Soto the chance to put pen to paper.

“There really are only four teams that are seriously in play for Soto: The Mets, the Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox,” Nightengale wrote in a column published Monday.

To be clear, this report shouldn’t make the Fenway Faithful start designing custom Soto Red Sox jerseys. That said, it obviously bodes well for Boston that a few big spenders — like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies — seemingly have dropped out of the race.

Invested fanbases might not have to wait much longer for Soto’s decision, as the four-time All-Star is widely expected to make his choice in early December.