The Major League Baseball offseason is in full swing and so is the rumor mill. Teams were able to sign free agents five days after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series, but this year’s prized free agent is taking his time to meet with interested clubs.
Superstar outfielder Juan Soto is projected to sign his next contract well north of $500 million over a decade-plus. Soto and his well-known agent, Scott Boras, already met with the New York Mets and his most recent team the New York Yankees, both organizations linked to the 26-year-old the most. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have also met with Soto, and the Dodgers are next on the list.
Phillies are finally in the Juan Soto sweepstakes and hold some strong advantages over the competition
For weeks there has been speculation whether the Philadelphia Phillies would be in the mix for Soto. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that the organization isn’t necessarily looking to add star players this offseason, but managing partner and principal owner John Middleton flirted with the idea of breaking the top tax threshold for the right player.
The Phillies are in a position to win now, and there aren’t many other teams that want to win more than them. Middleton has made it publicly known on multiple occasions over the last few years about his commitment to winning and bringing a World Series trophy back to the City of Brotherly Love.
The Phillies must feel like Soto is the right player to break the top tax threshold for because the club is finally jumping into the sweepstakes, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. A mystery club that spoke with Soto was reported to be in the running, likely the Phillies.
The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 19, 2024
It’s unknown when a meeting with Soto would take place. It has been reported that a decision could be made in December either before the MLB Winter Meetings or by the end of the meetings. The Winter Meetings take place from Dec. 9-12 and are generally the busiest time of the offseason with free agent signings and trades taking place.
The Phillies are willing to do whatever it takes to win and if they feel like Soto puts them over the top, then Middleton and Dombrowski will aggressively pursue him. The Phillies have connections to Soto, with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber being his former teammates and Kevin Long being his former hitting coach.
Soto is a four-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, 2019 World Series champion, 2020 batting title winner and 2022 Home Run Derby champion. He has 201 home runs, 592 RBI and has drawn a ton of walks in his seven-year career. Soto has played in 43 career playoff games and owns a .281 batting average in the postseason.