NL Powerhouse Expected to Bump Payroll, Make Run at Yankees’ Juan Soto

Heavy on Yankees Yankees slugger Juan Soto could end up with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he has multiple close relationships.

The Philadelphia Phillies have become a staple of the MLB playoffs over the past several years, but a World Series ring has continued to elude the most recent iteration of the franchise.

Last month’s Fall Classic saw the spending two of the sports’ most expensive teams in 2024 — the New York Yankees (No. 3 highest payroll) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 2 highest payroll) — pay off in a big way. The financial arms race that is Major League Baseball will necessitate spending bumps from other big market teams with championship aspirations, such as the Phillies, to remain consistently competitive at the top of the game.

And going big on the cap sheet now could shift the balance of power, as Yankees star slugger Juan Soto hit the free agent market on Monday, November 4, and has said publicly that he is willing to listen to offers from every interested team.

Phillies owner John Middleton recently spoke to his team’s willingness to spend ahead of the 2025 campaign, which could put Philadelphia in contention for Soto.

“Given where we are in contract cycles and minor league people coming up, I expect the player payroll to be higher [than this year] rather than lower,” Middleton said last week, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’d be surprised if it’s the same, and I’d be stunned, very stunned, if it’s lower. I don’t see it being lower.”

The Inquirer’s Scott Lauber wrote on November 1 that ownership’s willingness to break the bank could result in landing Soto, but acquiring him won’t be easy.

Juan Soto Has Multiple Close Relationships Inside Phillies Organization

GettyJuan Soto of the New York Yankees. 

The 26-year-old could bring in as much as $40 million annually and $500 million total on his next deal, if not more, according to Lauber. And a handful of big market teams are likely to throw their hats in the ring.

“The Yankees anticipate a crosstown challenge from [New York] Mets owner Steve Cohen, the wealthiest man in baseball,” Lauber wrote. “The [San Francisco] Giants and [Toronto] Blue Jays, bridesmaids in their respective free-agent bids for Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, have money to spend. Never rule out the Dodgers.”

Philadelphia should get a meeting with Soto, at which point Lauber believes the franchise will lean on a couple of relationships Soto has with prominent members of the organization.

“The guess here is they will request and receive a meeting with Soto. Surely, they will try to persuade him by leveraging his relationships with [Trea] Turner and, especially, hitting coach Kevin Long,” Lauber wrote. “Long coached Soto for four seasons with the [Washington] Nationals, and they grew so close that Soto invited Long to join him and agent Scott Boras in the front row at Dodger Stadium to root on Turner and Max Scherzer in a Wildcard game in 2021. Soto wore a Nationals jersey with Turner’s name and number.”

Yankees Slugger Juan Soto Perfect Fit for Phillies Lineup

GettyNew York Yankees star Juan Soto.

Middleton has indicated that for the “right player” the Phillies may be willing to push the payroll into the third luxury tax tier in 2025, which starts at $281 million. The team spent $261 million last year and also paid $13 million in luxury tax penalties.

Philadelphia has a star-studded roster into which Soto would fit seamlessly as arguably the best hitter in baseball.

Lauber noted Soto’s plate discipline, which could help balance out a lineup that whiffs at too many bad pitches. His presence in Philadelphia may be enough to put the Phillies over the top, as the team continues to operate in a viable championship window.