Inside The Phillies

Shocking Juan Soto News Is Worst-Case Scenario for Philadelphia Phillies

Juan Soto's record-setting contract is terrible news for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tyler Maher

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.
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. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Juan Soto is back in the NL East, but not with the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Sunday, Soto agreed to a massive 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets -- the largest contract in professional sports history.

This is terrible news for the Phillies, who briefly pursued Soto earlier in the offseason before backing out.

While Philadelphia won the NL East in 2024, finishing six games in front of the Mets and Atlanta Braves, it lost to New York in the NLDS in four games.

Now, the Mets are even stronger after signing Soto, giving them another superstar bat in their lineup alongside Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

Soto, 26, is one of the best hitters in baseball. An MVP-caliber player in the prime of his career, he likely has several more dominant seasons in front of him.

The Phillies will have to get re-acquainted with Soto, who owned them during his time with the Washington Nationals from 2018 to 2022. In 77 career games against Philadelphia, Soto has batted .292/.425/.556 with 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 60 runs.

The four-time All-Star also loves hitting at Citizens Bank Park, slashing .327/.433/.653 with 13 homers and 39 RBI in 38 career games there.

Soto will have plenty of time to add to those numbers. He'll now face the Phillies 13 times per year in the regular season, plus potentially more games in the postseason.

With his game-changing power and elite plate discipline, Soto has the skills to put New York over the top in the NL East. He was worth 7.9 WAR with the New York Yankees last year and has averaged 6.5 WAR over the past four seasons, making him one of the most valuable players in baseball.

Soto can opt out after 2029, and Philadelphia can only hope that he does. Because if he sticks around, he's going to be a thorn in the Phillies' side for a very, very long time.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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