Jun 2, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports Darren Yamashita
It really seems like someone at DraftKings wants you to bet on the Phillies signing Juan Soto.
The sportsbook released their odds on Juan Soto's next team Thursday, the day after he and the New York Yankees were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Noticeably absent in the top 10? The Phillies.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
JUAN SOTO NEXT TEAM ODDS ARE OFFICIALLY LIVE 👀 pic.twitter.com/c0f88CdlHp
As has been written here, the Phillies should check in on Soto. He's a 26-year-old that's all-but cemented his spot in Cooperstown already. But are the Phillies likely to sign Soto? Probably not. From an objective sense, what do the Phillies have to offer that the Yankees and Mets don't? The Phillies won the NL East, but they lost to the Mets in the NLDS. The Yankees just played in the World Series. Could Phillies managing partner John Middleton offer the most money? Anything is possible, as Middleton's ownership group has made major investments in recent years. But there's only three teams who carried higher payrolls than the Phillies in 2024. Two are the Yankees and Mets.
With that said, are there 10 teams more likely to sign Soto than the Phillies? That seems like a stretch. The Yankees and Mets should be favorites, and everyone else should probably be distant after them. The Phillies shouldn't be 11th (or lower). Money talks, but you when push comes to shove does anyone really think that Soto is more likely to sign with the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners — who play in two of the least hitter-friendly stadiums in the sport — than the Phillies? In 38 career games at Citizens Bank Park, Soto has hit .327 with a 1.086 OPS.
Again, this isn't meant to talk you into starting to print Soto Phillies jerseys. But the oddsmakers at DraftKings either are really out of touch, or the purposely didn't include the Phillies to try to get a slew of people in Philadelphia to place bets, knowing that it's still not particularly likely those bets cash. You decide.
