The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees engage in one of the most heated rivalries in all of sports every year. But this offseason, that rivalry runs even deeper than when the two American League East powers face off on the field.

Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto is a free agent and New York is desperately trying to bring him back. But the Red Sox are also going after Soto much more aggressively than anyone expected.

Boston was one of the first teams to meet Soto in person this week. Team president Sam Kennedy, president Tom Werner, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora were all there in person to meet with Soto and his representation.

According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, the three-hour meeting went very well for the Red Sox as Soto would have been impressed with what Boston brought to the table.

“Soto was reportedly impressed by the Red Sox presentation, which included a video noting the franchise’s history with star players from Soto’s native Dominican Republic,” McAdam wrote. “The Red Sox outlined their plans for the future and highlighted the roster of top prospects arriving soon while providing a detailed overview of ownership and Fenway Sports Group.”

In the lead-up to these meetings, the Red Sox were an afterthought in the Soto sweepstakes, but after this meeting there appears to be some traction.

No formal offer has been put on the table and there likely won’t be one for some time, but if the Red Sox believe they have the money to compete in a bidding war with the Yankees, the Mets of New York and the Toronto Blue Jays, this offseason could get very interesting.

Landing in Boston for the next 15 years would be enough to fuel nightmares in the Bronx for a century.

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