Juan Soto reveals Red Sox were at the top of the list during his free agency sweepstakes

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.Juan Soto nearly shipped up to Boston this past winter. The Mets outfielder revealed Tuesday that the Red Sox were much closer to landing him in free agency over the offseason than previously believed. “It was pretty fun, [the Red Sox] showed a lot of love,” Soto told The Athletic’s Red Sox beat writer Jen McCaffrey.

“I really appreciated what they did and what they brought to the table.I think it was really impressive, what they bring over.

I definitely sat down and looked at it and looked at the offers and everything they had for me.At the end of the day, we went in another direction.”The Red Sox reportedly offered Soto a 15-year, $700 million contract before he signed a $765 million deal of the same length with the Mets after one season with the crosstown rival Yankees. The two New York teams were seen as the two frontrunners during the Soto sweepstakes, but he told The Athletic that the Red Sox were close to landing him as well. “Yes, they really were right there, they were at the top of the list,” he said.

“They were pushing really hard, but at the end of the day, I made decisions.”Soto’s comments come during a rough stretch for the four-time All-Star, which started with a bad series against his former Yankees, as he went 1-for-10 at the plate.His struggles went further under the microscope after not hustling out of the box on back-to-back days. Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said on his radio show on Monday that Soto is “very, very glum” around the Mets clubhouse. On the same day, NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch reported that the “Mets’ hierarchy” was “concerned about Soto’s lack of enthusiasm for his new team.” ...