Juan Soto is the biggest name available on the trade market. The New York Yankees are the most aggressive suitor for the Padres outfielder. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that about five teams have submitted offers for Soto. The Phillies are not one of them.
The Phillies, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, are not involved in the Soto sweepstakes.
Soto, who is projected to make $33 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility according to MLB Trade Rumors, is expected to be dealt this offseason by the Padres, who are looking to shed payroll.
The asking price for Soto is steep and understandably so. San Diego is reportedly asking the Yankees for a package headlined by starter Michael King and pitching prospect Drew Thorpe along with four additional prospects. Center fielder Trent Grisham could also be dealt with Soto to the Yankees.
The Phillies’ equivalent to what the Padres are asking from the Yankees could theoretically be Ranger Suárez, Mick Abel or Orion Kerkering and four additional prospects. San Diego will try to be competitive in 2024, so it’s likely they would prefer a package that’s heavy in MLB ready pitching. They have multiple holes to fill in the rotation and bullpen with Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Nick Martinez, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha all hitting the free agent market.
It’s a very high price and it’s likely the Yankees and other suiters will wait until Padres general manager A.J. Preller lowers his ask.
Soto, 25, slashed .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs, 109 RBIs and a major league leading 132 walks across 162 games in 2023. He finished sixth in National League MVP voting, his highest vote total since his second-place finish behind Bryce Harper in 2021.
Soto’s rare combination of elite power and patience would be a perfect fit for a Phillies offense that lacked balance at times. The Phillies chased 31.3% of pitches out of the zone during the regular season in 2023, the fourth-highest rate in baseball behind the Guardians, Rockies and White Sox. Soto chased 16.6% of pitches out of the zone, which puts him in the 99th percentile among qualified hitters, according to Statcast.
He’s a generational player that the Phillies, and any other team in contention, should have interest in, even if he is just a rental. But from the Phillies side, it sounds like they are focused on adding depth. They could sign another bullpen arm or add an additional outfielder to the mix they already have.
The high asking price in trade talks is likely the main deterrent for the Phillies. A possible Phillies trade for Soto would almost certainly create other holes on the roster that would need to be filled either through trading more prospects or spending more money in free agency.
Soto would likely be a one-year rental for a team that acquires him. He is represented by Scott Boras and Boras clients typically do not sign extensions, especially when they are a year away from free agency.
With all of the former Nationals currently on the Phillies and John Middleton’s willingness to pay for stars, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the Phillies connected to Soto next offseason when he is a free agent. For now, it seems like the Phillies will pass again on the chance to land one of the best young players in baseball.
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