The Juan Soto saga has taken over the Major League Baseball offseason. The Philadelphia Phillies were rumored to have interest in the superstar outfielder until USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that they hadn't been in touch with Soto's camp. The Phillies are right back in the mix after MLB.com's Todd Zolecki said the organization has communicated with Soto's agent, Scott Boras, and that they plan to meet with them.
Five teams have offered Soto a contract so far. The Phillies weren’t one of them, so they might be too late to the party. Any team would love to have a player like Soto in their lineup, but other available options can help a club like the Phillies win.
Soto is an electric player who can do it all, but his price tag is ridiculously high. It’s a risky decision to give a player the kind of contract he garners especially when an organization already has two players on similar contracts like the Phillies do with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.
There are many cheaper outfield options available in free agency. The Phillies would be wise to spend the money they would’ve spent on Soto to improve the entire roster rather than just one position. It’s also worth noting that their top outfield prospect, Justin Crawford, has a bright future ahead of him.
3 under-the-radar backup targets if Phillies throw in the towel on Juan Soto
Tyler O’Neill
Tyler O’Neill is a right-handed corner outfielder with experience at all three outfield positions at the major league level. The 29-year-old is primarily used in left field and is an above-average defender with two career Gold Glove Awards.
O’Neill was a third-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners but spent the first six seasons of his big league career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He broke out in 2021, slashing .286/.352/.560 with a .912 OPS, 26 doubles, two triples, 34 home runs and 80 RBI.
O’Neill spent the 2024 season with the Boston Red Sox and had a .241 batting average. He hit 31 home runs with 61 RBI and walked a career-high 53 times. O’Neill can also be a threat on the base paths. He stole 15 bases in 2021 and 14 bases in 2022.
O’Neill made just under $6 million in 2024, but he’s expected to sign a multi-year deal with an average annual salary north of $15 million, per Spotrac. He would be a much more affordable option than Soto and significantly upgrade the Phillies outfield.
The Phillies could use him as the everyday left fielder and move Brandon Marsh to platoon with Johan Rojas in center field. An outfield with O’Neill, Nick Castellanos and either Marsh or Rojas would help solve the issues that plagued the team in 2024.
Bryan De La Cruz
The Pittsburgh Pirates non-tendered outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is another corner outfielder with experience at all three outfield positions.
De La Cruz made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2021. He hit .296 with 14 extra-base hits and 19 RBI in 58 games. He hit 52 doubles, 32 home runs and 121 RBI over the next two seasons.
De La Cruz had a down year in 2024. He started the season with the Marlins before being traded to the Pirates at the deadline. He slashed .233/.271/.384 with a .655 OPS, all career lows. The power was still there as he hit 25 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI, but he struck out a career-high 170 times in 149 games.
Spotrac calculated De La Cruz’s market value to $19.2 million per year, but it’s hard to imagine he receives an offer that high. His price tag will likely be a lot cheaper and more manageable for a team like the Phillies to take a chance on. De La Cruz has potential and would provide the Phillies with some more much-needed pop in the outfield.
Dylan Carlson
Dylan Carlson was once one of baseball’s top prospects when he was making his way through the minor leagues. The 2016 first-round pick made his major league debut in August 2020, recording 11 extra-base hits and 16 RBI in 35 games.
Carlson slashed .266/.343/.437 with a .780 OPS, 31 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 65 RBI in his first full season in the big leagues. He finished third in the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Carlson hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers in the last three seasons. The 26-year-old was traded from the Cardinals to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline in 2024. He had a poor start to the season, and the change of scenery didn’t help him.
The potential is there for Carlson. He’s a switch-hitting outfielder who can play all three outfield positions at a high level. He needs to find more consistency at the plate and get back to what he was doing in the first half of his young career.
Carlson isn’t the best option available, but a fresh start with the Phillies could help his career get back on track. Spotrac projects his annual salary to be $5.3 million, well within the Phillies' budget. It would be a low-risk, high-reward type of deal for a young, versatile player at a position of need.