Philadelphia Phillies Free Agent Target Projected to Make Over $600 Million

The Philadelphia Phillies have shown that they are not afraid to spend in free agency, and will need to do so again if they intend on signing their top target.

Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) on third base during the first inning in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are no strangers to spending big when it comes to attempting to land superstars in free agency.

Prior to the 2019 season, the Phillies signed superstar outfielder Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million contract, and prior to the 2023 campaign, they signed superstar shortstop Trea Turner, a former teammate of Harper's to an 11-year, $300 million contract.

This offseason, there is one target at the top of nearly everyone's list, who also happens to be a former teammate of Harper's and Turner's, superstar outfielder Juan Soto.

Speculation as to where the outfielder will sign has surrounded the baseball landscape throughout the 2024 season and has been no different in the postseason as his New York Yankees pushed their way to the World Series, and shows no signs of slowing down until the ink has dried on the paper of whatever team Soto has signed with.

While the $630 million that Philadelphia has locked away with Harper's and Turner's names on it is no chump change, that total is split between two players.

In a recent article from The Athletic, Tim Britton took a crack at projecting the potential salaries that the top-tier free agents will receive this winter, and Britton has Soto projected at 13 years, $611 million, only $19 million shy of what Harper and Turner will make, combined.

It may sound like an astronomical figure, and it certainly is, but players like Juan Soto do not come around very often, especially players who are entering free agency at 25.

Soto has proven time and time again that he is the best all-around hitter in the sport, and he has yet to reach his prime.

He knows the strike zone better than anyone else currently in baseball, and perhaps even ever, can hit for power with the best of them, reaching a career-high 41 home runs in 2023, and has a career batting average of .285 across 4,088 plate appearances in 936 games.

He can easily slot into the top of any lineup, and for the Phillies, he would give them the ability to move Kyle Schwarber down to the cleanup spot, while moving Harper up to the second spot in the lineup, and dropping Turner to fifth or sixth, spacing their lineup out in a much better way.

Whoever does wind up signing Soto will need to be willing to open the pursestrings, and Philadelphia has shown us before that they are not afraid to do just that.