Red Sox Might 'Complement' Juan Soto With This $130 Million Ace, Per Insider

Could multiple young All-Stars be headed to Boston?

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) walks during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Signing Juan Soto is an enormous leap for the Boston Red Sox to make. But if they can somehow pull it off, the work is certainly not finished.

Soto is a generational superstar, the type of talent a team should never pass up the opportunity to land. But he also adds to strengths the Red Sox already possess: offense, left-handedness, and the outfield.

Should the Red Sox convince Soto to come to Boston, they'll still have a gaping hole at the top of their rotation. And presumably, they'll have at least $600 million committed to Soto, so doing so might understandably be a tight fit in the new budget.

One insider believes that Boston may have a preferred strategy when it comes to adding that ace.

Recently, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic speculated that if Soto does sign with the Red Sox, they might prefer a trade for Chicago White Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet over spending big on another free agent, like Max Fried or Corbin Burnes.

“The Sox’s biggest need is a top-of-the-rotation starter,” Rosenthal said. “If they come away with Soto, they might prefer to complement him with a trade for the Chicago White Sox’s Garrett Crochet, who will earn a projected $2.9 million in arbitration and remain under club control through 2026.”

Crochet, 25, was never a starter in the big leagues before 2024, but broke out with an incredible 209 strikeouts in just 146 innings. He was named an American League All-Star, then the hapless White Sox decreased his workload after July to preserve his arm for future seasons.

Acquiring Crochet wouldn't just be about forking over prospects. If the demands the lefty had at the trade deadline carry over into 2025, they'll also have to extend him. Spotrac's Market Value tool projects him for a six-year, $130 million deal, which could fluctuate depending on timing.

It's a legitimate strategy for Boston to prefer a Crochet trade, both with and without Soto signing in Boston. But threading the needle when it comes to the return and the extension will be tough tasks for the Red Sox front office.

More MLB: Red Sox Are Number-One Destination For $166M Braves All-Star, Report Claims