'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A video showing San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto dancing with Red Sox icons has led some to believe that the 24-year old may be eyeing a move to Boston.
In the viral video, Soto can be seen busting out some moves alongside Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez. While the occasion in question is not clear, it has been suggested that the video captures Martinez' annual charity gala.
Trending
"Juan Soto dancing with Red Sox legends Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek" - Baseball's Greatest Moments
2023 was the first full season that Juan Soto spent with the Padres. After coming to the team in a August 2022 trade with the Washington Nationals, the former World Series champion hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a league-best 132 walks.
Soto's future with the Padres has long been a point of debate. Despite having the third-highest payroll in baseball, the Friars underperformed by virtually every metric this season. Their 82-80 record was enough for the Padres to finish third in the NL West, eighteen games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the division for the tenth straight year.
The footage of Juan Soto dancing alongside Varitek and Martinez has spurred fans to believe that a move to the Boston Red Sox could be on the cards. Martinez pitched in Boston from 1998 to 2004, winning a pair of Cy Young Awards in that time. Varitek, a catcher, spent his entire eighteen-year career with the Sox, earning three All-Star nods, a Gold Glove, and two World Series wins.
After the dissapointing season in San Diego, many believe that the Padres will need to offload some talent so as to keep costs down. Starter Blake Snell, who will see his five-year, $50 million deal is expected to be on the block. However, it is entirely possible that Soto will be looking to cash in on an increase from his one-year, $23 million deal that he played under in 2023.
Juan Soto could be the player to turn the Red Sox around
2023 saw the Red Sox finish at the bottom of their division, the AL East, for the second straight year. After losing stars like Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez last offseason, the team failed to bridge the gap. While new arrivals like Masataka Yoshida did some good, it still was not enough. While the Sox' offseason strategy is yet to be seen, they could do far worse than to land a smooth operator like Juan Soto.
