It sounds like an uphill battle, but the Phillies are trying to fight it anyway.
Despite news every day that the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are the frontrunners, the Phils reportedly will meet (or might have already met) with superstar free agent Juan Soto, and it sounds as though their meeting is certainly welcomed by Soto's camp.
Jon Heyman on Juan Soto and the Phillies:
“I think he likes the organization. He likes the team. They do spend. They do want to win. So I think they’re happy to do the meeting. Happy to consider it.” pic.twitter.com/KaqQLFfKvC— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) November 21, 2024
Yes, the Phillies are willing to spend well into the highest tier of luxury tax. And yes, Soto is potentially drawn to his former hitting coach and teammates already playing for the contending Phillies.
But the fact remains, at least if you believe New York Post baseball insider Jon Heyman, they they remain extreme underdogs to ink the AL MVP finalist.
According to Heyman, the Mets are the favorites right now, followed by his 2024 home in the pennant-winning Yankees. He lists the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Red Sox as his top five potential future teams. And then the Phillies.
Pluses: Owner John Middleton craves to win and just took on new investors. Soto likes hitting coach Kevin Long, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner from Nats days.
Minuses: They may be late. (Are they trying to clear salary first?) [NY Post]
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The Phillies check all the boxes for Soto: they're on the east coast, they are contenders to win a World Series, and he knows a lot of the players and coaches. But Heyman believes that if they are going to make a push to really sign him, they might shed some salary — which means Nick Castellanos or J.T. Realmuto could be added to the trade block.
In a recent poll of baseball executives, one shockingly suggested that Realmuto might be moved. The only real context in which that makes sense is if it's part of a bigger roster reshuffle for the Phillies to improve their offensive roster heading to 2025. Castellanos, meanwhile, has heard his name come up occasionally as part of a trade rumor over the last few seasons. All of this in addition to all of the Alec Bohm buzz.
Soto coming to Philadelphia might not be a simple signing. It could be one of a handful of moves that could reshape a team that has been excellent on paper, good in the regular season, but has been missing something important in October.
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