Calling Red Sox Favorites For $500 Million Superstar Is 'Premature,' Per Insider

Could Boston really be the top team in pursuit of this slugger?

Sep 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) reacts after hitting a two run RBI double against the Boston Red Sox in the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox fans are starved for a right-handed slugger. So if and when they catch wind that their team might be the favorite to snag one of the game's very best, they understandably might get a little bit excited.

That very thing happened earlier this week, when Bob Nightengale of USA Today labeled the Red Sox as the clear frontrunners to nab current Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency next winter.

Guerrero is a game-changer, as he finished sixth in Major League Baseball with a .940 OPS this past season and is already a four-time All-Star. However, another insider isn't buying Nightengale's proclamation about Boston having the inside track.

On Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided expressed his belief that the Red Sox would be "involved" in the Guerrero sweepstakes, but that calling them the favorites at this point was "premature."

"I absolutely believe that Guerrero will test free agency," Murray wrote. "After watching Juan Soto land a record $765 million contract in free agency, he has every reason to head to the open market. But suggesting that the Red Sox are “likely” to land a free agent, especially almost a year away from Guerrero’s free agency, is premature."

I would look for the Red Sox to be involved in the Guerrero sweepstakes. They have every reason to and clearly have the financial wherewithal to sign him, especially after being prominently involved in the Soto bidding. And it would be no surprise whatsoever to see Guerrero seek a contract in the $400-500 million range and ultimately get it, perhaps even more."

The Red Sox may have been involved in the Soto bidding, but it also doesn't seem as though they were close to getting a deal done. They either stopped at $600 million or $700 million, depending on the source you listen to, whereas the final number ended up at $765 million.

That's not to say that the Red Sox can't outbid everyone else for Guerrero, or even that they won't. We just haven't seen them do that recently enough to trust it this early in the game.

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