How likely is it that super free agent Soto ends up with Phillies?

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but one of the greatest hitters of this generation, New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto, is going to be a free agent this winter. 

He plays left field. Last season, Austin Hays and Brandon Marsh played left field for the Phillies.

Juan Soto would be an upgrade.

You don’t need to be a baseball whiz to know this. Soto would be the perfect fit for a Phillies lineup that suffers from too many slumps and chases too many pitches out of the strike zone, but Soto is also going to be one of the most expensive free agents in MLB history. While he won’t surpass Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract signed last offseason ($680 million of that money won’t be paid out until after the contract is up — see my recent article on The Good Phight for more on Soto contract stuff), it is likely he’ll receive a 12- to 15-year contract in excess of $550 million. 

Even for a billionaire like John Middleton, that’s a lot of money. With two superstars already under contract for $300-plus million, and seven players already making $20-plus million next season and Taijuan Walker laughably making $18 million each of the next two seasons, it’s reasonable to think owner John Middleton won’t be in the mix.

That isn’t going to stop Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, from making sure the Phillies remain firmly ensconced in the rumor mill until the lefty-swinging superstar signs on the dotted line. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, as part of an interview this week with Boras, mentioned Philadelphia as a real suitor for Soto.

“The Yankees haven’t hidden their desire to have him return. The crosstown Mets, with the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen, could be beckoning. The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to strongly pursue him to team up with Boras client Bryce Harper. The Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, who were left at the altar in the Ohtani bidding war last winter, will now turn their attention to Soto.”

Nightingale and New York Post baseball reporter Jon Heyman often post rumors regarding free agents linked to Boras, so it’s no surprise that Boras has begun his media campaign by letting the big spenders mentioned above know that everyone is in the mix. The reality of that quote may differ from Boras’ sell job, but it’s Boras’ job to generate a robust market for his client, so you can’t blame a cat for meowing.

On the latest edition of Hittin’ Season, we discussed the Nightengale “report,” and tried to define precisely what it would mean to “strongly pursue” Soto this winter. 

Middleton and Dave Dombrowski will undoubtedly be involved in Soto’s market. To what extent will remain a mystery until they near the finish line, but it should be noted no one believed the Phils were interested in Japanese pitching phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason until it was revealed in spring training that the team had offered a $300-plus million contract to the ace right-handed starter. 

The Phillies are quiet and sneaky about these things. They don’t leak.

You can also be sure that, even if the Phils can’t afford him or are outbid by the Yankees or Mets (the most likely outcome, if we’re being honest), Boras and the reporters who cover him will make sure the Phillies remain bound to him in Rumorville for the entirety of his free agency. 

Meow away, Scott Boras.

The post How likely is it that super free agent Soto ends up with Phillies? appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY.