Are the Phillies late to the Juan Soto party because they're trying to clear salary?

Officially, the Juan Soto sweepstakes have been going on since five days after the World Series ended when this offseason's free agents became eligible to talk to every Major League Baseball team. It's been less than three weeks.

It seems much longer because, in fan's minds, the chase to land this winter's biggest prize has been going on since the waning days of the regular season. For Philadelphia Phillies fans it's been an excruciating few weeks of free agency.

Soto rumors connected to Philadelphia seemed to evaporate almost entirely after the initial rush of early November speculation. At one point, it felt like there was no chance the Phillies would go after Soto. Now that we know they will eventually meet, the excitement is building again.

Are the Phillies late to the Juan Soto party because they're trying to clear salary?

The New York Post's Jon Heyman listed the Phillies as the sixth realistic landing spot for the 26-year-old superstar and their pluses as a contender for his services.

"Owner John Middleton craves to win and just took on new investors," Heyman wrote. "Soto likes hitting coach Kevin Long, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner from Nats days."

But that isn't exactly breaking news. We've known this about the Phillies for a long while now, including the connections left over from Soto's Nationals days. The minus that Heyman gave the Phillies was a little more interesting: their tardiness to the biggest free agent pursuit of the offseason.

"They may be late. (Are they trying to clear salary first?)," Heyman wondered.

Is that what delayed the Phillies' entrance into the chase, trying to clear room from the already high payroll? Has president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and his front office cohort been busy trying to get agreements in place to move one or more of the larger contracts on the books?

According to FanGraphs, the Phillies' estimated 2025 payroll sits at $268 million. That's barely shy of the $281 million third luxury tax threshold. At least we know they're willing to bust through that ceiling "for the right player."

Another MLB insider sees a path for the Phillies to sign Juan Soto

Jim Bowden of The Athletic is also a believer in the Phillies being a legitimate contender (subscription required) now that they've jumped into the fray. He offers a pathway to making a mega Soto-sized deal work, which we've previously broken down.

"There is a pathway to make a Soto deal work financially by backloading the first couple of years of a 12- to 15-year contract," Bowden said. "And, Phillies ownership — with Dombrowski and before he arrived — has shown it will play in the deep end of free agency and dish out record deals."

As was reported on Friday by Boston-based analyst and radio host Marino Pepén, Soto is apparently looking for a 12- to 14-year deal worth $45 million per season. For reference, starting pitcher Zack Wheeler will make $42 million next year in the first year of his three-year extension.

We might never know how the wheels are turning in the front office at the moment, especially if Soto doesn't sign in Philly. But if they're serious about change, almost anyone, save for a few key core players, should be an option to be moved.

Trending on That Ball's Outta Here