For the Yankees, it’s not just a regional rival, but a blood rival that poses a serious threat in the Juan Soto Derby.

The Red Sox are increasingly viewed as a legitimate contender for the generational slugger as they are said to be increasing their efforts to lure the superstar slugger away from their historic AL East nemesis.

Sources say the Red Sox are trying to trade Soto to Boston – a blip both at Fenway Park and in the franchise’s history.

Soto is a pure hitter who uses all fields (rather than a dead-pull hitter who frequents the short porch in the Bronx). He had the best offensive season of his entire career in his year in pinstripes – but his OPS on the road was 57 points higher than at home (1.017 to .960).

In Boston, the club’s best hitters have historically been left-handed (Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and David Ortiz), and lazy opposite field flyers from Soto could turn into doubles that fend off the Green Monster.

After spending his first six seasons in the National League, Soto has played just nine games in his career at Fenway, where he would likely move from right field to the smaller defensive left field.

During the Red Sox’s meeting with Soto and agent Scott Boras two weeks ago in California, which was attended by Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner, the team also highlighted its rich history with star players from the Dominican Republic.

Ortiz and Pedro Martinez became legends in Beantown. Rafael Devers could become Soto’s lineup protector.

Executives involved in the bidding, which is still in its relatively early stages, expect some offers to ultimately reach or exceed $600 million, which would easily be a record for today’s value. (The value of Shohei Ohtani’s heavily deferred $700 million Dodgers deal is between $430 million and $470 million.)

Such an investment from the Red Sox would be stunning for a franchise that traded away Mookie Betts rather than sign him long-term; that significantly reduced payroll starting in 2020 and spent about $120 million less than the Yankees last season; and relatedly, he has reached the postseason in one of the last six seasons, a span in which he finished last in the AL East three times.

Maybe the Red Sox and controlling owner John Henry decided to wake up at a frantic moment.

The bidding for Soto has begun and sources confirm that at least five teams – the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers – are included.

The two New York teams are publicly considered favorites, but all five are believed to be in the running. The Red Sox were considered underdogs, but perhaps they don’t see themselves that way.

They could also sell Soto as the franchise’s only face, something that would happen to the Yankees (due to Aaron Judge), Mets (Francisco Lindor), Dodgers (Ohtani, among others) and perhaps Blue Jays (although Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may be free after next season be an agent).

The Red Sox can also claim that they are a team on the rise, with three of MLB Pipeline’s top 10 prospects in baseball.

Soto is known to have asked clubs about their development systems in introductory meetings.

In the hunt for one of the most enticing sluggers ever to hit the open market, the Yankees are the incumbents with the most losses.

Club owner Hal Steinbrenner & Co. is under the most pressure after pledging part of its future for Soto’s services last winter.

They were rewarded with a great season and a World Series trip that fell three wins short, and they preferred not to be forced into a Plan B that didn’t involve Soto.

The Mets have the most money, with a highly motivated owner in Steve Cohen who is capable of outbidding anyone for a 26-year-old talent who is considered generational for good reason.

They made a surprising NLCS appearance and are well-run under David Stearns.

The Blue Jays, who have Edward Rogers’ deep pockets, are seriously interested after several disappointing seasons and offseasons and are unable to lure players like Ohtani and other superstars to Toronto.

The Dodgers’ interest is real, but they don’t enjoy bidding wars and some of their stars have accepted relative bargains.

While there is public skepticism about Soto’s interest in returning to the West Coast, people close to him say he loved life in San Diego and doesn’t have much of a geographic preference.