Eric Hartline
USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday that the Phillies "are expected to strongly pursue" Juan Soto when he hits the open market this winter:
“The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to strongly pursue [Juan Soto] to team up with Boras client Bryce Harper.”
-@BNightengale pic.twitter.com/J6swwNXKZG
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) October 28, 2024
What's worth adding here, though, is that Nightengale wrote this in a story where Soto's agent, Scott Boras, is quoted talking about how the four-time Silver Slugger winner nearly had reached a long-term extension to remain with the San Diego Padres last winter before owner Peter Seidler passed away. The portion of the story where the Phillies are mentioned is part of a paragraph listing all the possible suitors for the 26-year-old superstar:
"The Yankees haven’t hidden their desire to have him return. The crosstown Mets, with the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen, could be beckoning. The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to strongly pursue him to team up with Boras client Bryce Harper. The Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, who were left at the altar in the Ohtani bidding war last winter, will now turn their attention to Soto."
This is not to say that the Phillies won't ultimately have interest in Soto — it would be organizational malpractice not to check in on one of the greatest young hitters in MLB history when he does hit free agency.
There does feel like an element of this, though, that's a little too transparent. Boras is quoted in the story, and then later in it the Phillies are tied to Soto in the most clear-cut terms that they have been to date. Not only does putting this information out make Phillies fans dream about Soto in red pinstripes, but perhaps managing partner John Middleton, who surely is disappointed by the NLDS exit at the hands of the New York Mets.
Ultimately, though, it's Boras' job to get as many suitors at the table to try to increase the final price that Soto gets paid in free agency. Having the Phillies as part of the mix helps to jack up the price on a contract that increasingly feels like it will be worth at least $600 million. Could the Phillies come away victorious in the sweepstakes? Anything is possible, but it doesn't feel particularly likely. When Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were free agents, it felt like the Phillies would get one of the two. When Trea Turner became a free agent, the Phillies were definitely the favorites. In this case, it seems like the Phillies are, at best, the No. 3 team, behind both the incumbent New York Yankees and aforementioned Mets.
From here, it's still really difficult to imagine the Yankees letting Soto leave. He's proven to be a perfect fit with the Yankees, and hit the home run that sent them to their first World Series since 2009. Hal Steinbrenner may not be his father, but the Yankees still had the second-highest payroll in baseball this season at $309.4 million. The only team they were behind? The Mets, who were at $317.8 million.
As much as Phillies fans would like to see them sign Soto, it feels most likely he'll be in New York in 2025. If that's the case, the Phillies better hope he stays with the Yankees, rather than being wooed by the insanely deep pockets of Mets owner Steve Cohen.
