Could Juan Soto End Up With the Philadelphia Phillies Next Season?

The Philadelphia Phillies could be a surprise contender for one of MLB's best young super stars after this season.

May 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) follows through on a single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB free agency class next year is headlined by one of baseball's best young players. Could the Philadelphia Phillies be a surprise landing spot for him?

New York Yankees mega star Juan Soto is currently set to become a free agent after this season and it looks like he'll hit the free market.

Soto is going to cost a lot of money and New York might not actually be able to afford him. The New York Post's Dan Martin recently shared some intriguing comments made by general manager Hal Steinbrenner on the state of their pay roll:

"I’m gonna be honest, payrolls at the levels we’re at right now are simply not sustainable for us financially," said Steinbrenner. "It wouldn’t be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership [groups], given the luxury tax we have to pay. We’ve got a considerable amount of money coming off [after 2024]. We didn’t have a considerable amount of money coming off last offseason, which is why we’re at where we’re at."

The Yankees currently already have over $202 million in payroll allotted for next season. As much as they want to keep Soto around, they might not be able to afford him.

With his future in question, That Balls Outta Here's Matt Grazel inquired about Soto's fit in Philadelphia. Mentioning connections to this Phillies roster with former teammates Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber as well as former hitting coach Kevin Long.

The fit would be perfect for Philadelphia. They need help offensively in the outfield and many are expecting Nick Castellanos to be on his way out via trade soon. The current right-fielder slashing .206/.274/.322 this season. With a player like Soto, though, you don't necessarily worry about fit as much as you do affording him.

The corner outfielder has gotten back to the same level of player that he was with the Washington Nationals. In 2024, he’s slashing .309/.407/.570. That slugging mark would end as the second best number of his career. He has hit 14 home runs to start the year, which makes him on-pace to hit a career-best 42 this season. 

The 25-year-old has become a Statcast monster, with one of the most satisfying baseball savant pages in MLB. He’s top-five for barrel%, hard hit% and adjusted exit velocity. He’s simply just hitting the ball at an excellent level.

Soto bet on himself this past offseason when he signed a one-year deal with New York for the chance to secure a massive contract. It certainly looks like it was a successful bet as he should be seeing historic numbers if this level of performance continues.