BOSTON -- When it's come to competing for championships or prized free agents in recent years, the Boston Red Sox have mostly opted to be spectators.
Might a change in philosophy be on its way?
According to reports, it might, as the Red Sox are lined up to make their pitch to Juan Soto.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Red Sox are second in line to meet with Soto and agent Scott Boras in California this week. The Blue Jays, Mets and Yankees will also meet with Soto.
The top available player in free agency this winter, Soto is set to land an absolutely massive contract. As we know all too well in Boston, the Red Sox haven't been overly keen on handing those out. (There's a player in Los Angeles named "Mookie" who's fresh off winning his third World Series in six years who can speak to that reality.)
And similar to Mookie Betts -- who was 27 when he signed his 12-year, $365 million deal with the Dodgers -- Soto is young for free agency, having just celebrated his 26th birthday in October.
Passan estimates that Soto's asking price will be something like a 15-year, $600 million deal.
Will any team be willing to pay that much? Perhaps not. But for the Red Sox to at the very least display an eagerness to get in the room with the top available free agent does harken back to the days when there was no bidding war too rich for John Henry's involvement. Perhaps -- perhaps! -- this meeting can be seen as a sign that the Red Sox want to once again act like a big-market team.