MLB execs say Phillies to bid on Juan Soto this winter

The player who will headline the free agents this offseason is Juan Soto. The outfielder is having an outstanding season for the New York Yankees. He is a part of a formidable duo atop New York's lineup with outfielder Aaron Judge. The two will play a significant part in how the club will do this postseason.

Soto will earn a monumental deal this winter that is projected to total just over half a billion dollars (subscription required), per Tim Britton of The Athletic. New York will look to keep him in The Bronx for the next several years. Will the Philadelphia Phillies get in on the bidding and attempt to sign another superstar in free agency?

MLB executives list the Phillies as a club expected to offer Soto a deal this winter

USA Today's Bob Nightengale included which organizations MLB executives believe are expected to offer Soto a contract. The Phillies, Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants are the franchises that will attempt to sign him to a long-term deal, according to Nightengale.

The term franchise player can be overused among the sports media. However, Soto is on the shortlist of being described as that based on the impact he has made for teams thus far during his career. Should the Phillies make an offer for the superstar outfielder? Absolutely. Will they? That is difficult to say considering the amount of expensive deals they already have on their payroll for the next several years.

Soto will turn 26 in October and is in the prime of his career. He has posted a .286/.418/.575 line with a .993 OPS in 149 contests ahead of games on Sept. 20. His 40 home runs are fourth in the majors, and he is tied with Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez for ninth in the league with 103 RBI. He has totaled 124 walks, trailing Judge's 125 for the most in MLB. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican native is an exceptional player that the Phillies should attempt to add to their roster this offseason.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner cast concerns that the Yankees would be able to sign Soto to a long-term deal with his comments earlier this season regarding the team's payroll. However, will the owner make an exception and keep the outfielder with the club for several more years? Mets owner Steve Cohen will likely aim to keep the outfielder in New York City by signing him from their crosstown rival.

Current contracts could hinder Phillies from signing Juan Soto

The long-term deals the Phillies have with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Aaron Nola could prevent the club from being a top suitor for Soto. While Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto will be free agents following the 2025 seasons, Philadelphia still has expensive deals for Nick Castellanos and Zack Wheeler that will not expire until the end of 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Ranger Suárez is eligible for a new contract at the end of 2025. Alec Bohm will be looking for a long term deal in free agency following the 2026 season as well. Will the front office aim to keep one or both of them in Philly?

The Phillies' own financial situation cast doubts on the possibility of Soto signing with the organization. However, the talent he has demonstrated during his seven-year career in the majors certainly makes any luxury tax penalties the franchise would have to pay worth considering given the outfielder's talent.

If Philadelphia comes up short of winning a World Series in 2024, the offseason will be interesting as far as what roster changes the front office will do this offseason. If they lose in the Divisional round or NLCS, there will be pressure from an unhappy fanbase and owner John Middleton to make an impactful addition such as signing Soto.

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