Outfielder Juan Soto has been compared to many things in his young career. He has been idolized as the next Ted Williams and Barry Bonds with his exceptional eye at the plate and his uncanny ability to hit for power at such an efficient rate.
One thing every major league club can agree on is how dynamic and franchise-altering he is with his effortless fit into any lineup. The New York Yankees learned quickly how exceptional he is and now join the rest of the pack in the free agency hunt to sign Soto long term.
Everyone knew the 26-year-old Soto would drive a hard bargain given him being a Scott Boras client. Soto and Boras will dictate the price and pace of free agency with his incoming record-setting contract, per MLB.com. The question for the Philadelphia Phillies is, will it be too much for the Phillies to cough up even for Soto?
Is Juan Soto's rumored contract demand too rich for the Phillies?
Rumors have circulated for months about what Soto's contract would look like. Unfortunately for the five teams that have submitted offers (subscription required), his price only went up since he led the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009, per NJ.com's Randy Miller. It has gone up so much so that, according to Miller, Soto is believed to be seeking a 15-year deal worth more than $700 million. Yes, $700 million.
"Soto is believed to be seeking a 15-year deal worth more than $700 million." 🤯
— Brandon Wile (@Brandon_N_Wile) November 26, 2024
"The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays presented contract offers to agent Scott Boras late last week" https://t.co/deHWoDdHn1
Phillies managing partner John Middleton has claimed that he wants his f*****g trophy back, but this may be even too rich for his blood. Juan Soto is a generational talent, there is no denying that, but matching or even surpassing Shohei Ohtani's contract, even with heavy deferments, seems absurd at this point. Ohtani is a star two-way player and has won three MVP Awards in both the NL and AL and is always a threat for the Cy Young Award when on the mound.
Now whether Soto even sniffs $700 million is still yet to be determined. The Phillies haven't made an offer yet towards Soto's camp, and it's possible with that reported price tag of over $46 million a year, they never will. Phillies ownership has proven they're willing to spend and said they'll even go over the third tax threshold at $281 million, but a contract that size is too much to ask, even for Soto.