Philadelphia Phillies Target Becomes Second-Highest Paid Player Ever in Prediction

The Philadelphia Phillies are almost certainly looking at a $600 million deal for the pending free agent.

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) on the field during workout day at Dodger Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

If the rumors centered around the Philadelphia Phillies being interested in Juan Soto are indeed true, the club should expect to give the slugger a deal well above $500 million.

When Soto entered the campaign, $500 million looked to be his future price. However, after impressing in a big way during the season, perhaps having the best year of his career, that price has only gone up.

It remains uncertain how the Phillies would pull signing Soto off, but their front office and ownership group have continued to show that they can't be counted out. That's, in large part, a reason why the two have been linked as often as they've been over the past few months.

In each prediction, it seems like Soto's contract is only going up. The latest from Jim Bowden of The Athletic was just that. Bowden predicted Soto would land a $622 million deal for 15 years.

"By all indications, he’s poised to become the second-highest-paid player in baseball history, behind only Shohei Ohtani. He’s a generational talent who will hit free agency at only 26 and should be able to land a 15-year deal. Most executives believe he’ll end up somewhere between $550 million and $650 million, which will probably limit his market to both New York teams and possibly the Blue Jays. Other teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers and Nationals also could emerge for Soto."

The 15 years is an important part in Soto's potential contract. If that deal were to only be for 11 seasons, it'd drastically change his AAV, which, for Philadelphia, is more important than the actual figure.

It's scary to think about the Dominican Republic native joining the Phillies lineup. Unfortunately, the team didn't compete at the level they needed to for them to win a World Series in 2024, but adding Soto would certainly add a different dynamic to this lineup.

Soto, who turned 26 years old on October 25, is coming off a campaign where he slashed .288/.419/.569 with a 178 OPS+ and 41 home runs.

His career 160 OPS+ is a great indication of the type of hitter he is, as the left-hander is on pace to become one of the best in Major League Baseball history.

Philadelphia will have plenty of competition for the star, but if their interest is as prevalent as some have made it seem, expect the ownership group to come in with a competitive offer.