Juan Soto Free Agency Update: Boston Red Sox aggressively increase offer to sign ex-Yankees' star as he seeks Shohei Ohtani-like contract

As the offseason pushes on, Juan Soto's name remains top-of-mind for a variety of front offices, While they know it will not be cheap, some of the league's deep-pocketed clubs continue to salivate at the chance of landing one of MLB's brightest stars on a long-term basis.

Among the teams reported to be in contact with Soto are the Boston Red Sox, one of the league's oldest and most established teams. According to new information provided by journalist Hector Gomez, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow has embarked on this task seriously.

"SOURCE: The #RedSox increased their original offer to Juan Soto, both in years and total value. @z101digital" - Hector Gomez

On Tuesday, Gomez announced on X that the Boston Red Sox had upped the size and scope of their offer to Juan Soto. Although no concrete details were provided, it is understood that the Sox are willing to pay Soto more over a longer period.

According to sources, a cohort of Red Sox executives, including Craig Breslow, President Sam Kennedy, Chairman Tom Werner, and manager Alex Cora met with Soto earlier in November. Apparently, a $700 million deal is on the table, which would equate Shohei Ohtani's record-shattering 2023 inking with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

""We don't believe these are final offers... I am of the mind that the team that gets [Juan] Soto will be the most desperate to get Soto." @jonmorosi provides insight into the five reported teams to offer Juan Soto a contract thus far on #MLBNHotStove" - MLB Network

Juan Soto, 25, is coming off of a career season with the New York Yankees that culminated in a World Series appearance. In addition to hitting 288/.418/.569, Soto led the AL in runs scored with 128 and hit a career-high 41 home runs.

Juan Soto's name set to dominate MLB Winter Meetings

On December 8, league executives will congregate in Dallas for the MLB winter meetings. Predictably, Soto's name is expected to be on everyone's lips. As one unnamed source told Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

“It’s not going to be like a year ago when the winter meetings were an embarrassment, nothing happened... This year is different. Everyone is much more aggressive, or at least they’re acting like it."

Last year, it seemed as though the race to sign Ohtani was a closed one. Now, with Soto, the race appears to be drawing in talk of a deal of equally mammoth proportions.