Rafael Devers, Dominican Community Could Play Into Red Sox's Pursuit of Juan Soto

Superstar free agent Juan Soto is reportedly taking a meeting with the Boston Red Sox, and ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez believes Rafael Devers will be a part of the team's pitch.

Jul 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Juan Soto sweepstakes is about to get underway, meaning it's almost time for teams to start making their pitches to the top free agent on the market.

Reports surfaced this week that the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees will all be meeting with Soto in the coming days and weeks. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays have been mentioned as potential landing spots as well.

Soto knows what it's like to play for the Yankees, while the Mets could be willing to pay him the most, but that doesn't mean the Red Sox are going into the race without any advantages.

On Wednesday morning's episode of "The Leadoff Spot" on MLB Network Radio, host Eduardo Pérez brought up a potential edge Boston could have on its side.

"It's the community, the Dominican community that's big in Boston," Pérez said. "I would not be surprised if (Rafael) Devers, 'Carita,' is a part of this. Like saying 'Look, we want you here and these are the reasons why.' Give him the selling point."

"The Dominican community is big in Boston, I would not be surprised if Devers, 'Carita,' is a part of this."

The #RedSox are reportedly meeting with Juan Soto.@PerezEd on his fit in Boston:#DirtyWater
🔗https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/45FN6ZEOJ7

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 13, 2024

Devers, who is two years older than Soto and also from the Dominican Republic, inked a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the Red Sox last winter. Other Dominican players – such as David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez – enjoyed long, successful careers in Boston and still have a presence in the city.

Boston has the second-largest Dominican population of any metropolitan area in the United States, trailing only New York.

It remains to be seen if that will play into Soto's decision, or if the Red Sox will even bother making him a competitive offer. Outside of the extension they gave Devers last year, Boston's front office has been largely unwilling to spend big for top-of-the-market talent in the 2020s.

Soto is fresh off a career year, batting .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, a .989 OPS and a 7.9 WAR while leading the Yankees to the AL pennant. The left-handed slugger is already a four-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger, and many are expecting him to land a deal in excess of $500 million.

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