The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly joined the sweepstakes for prized free agent outfielder Juan Soto, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
"The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them," Heyman wrote on his X account Tuesday (November 19).
Soto potentially signing with the Phillies would reunite him with former Washington Nationals teammates Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. The Dominican slugger spent the past season with the New York Yankees who are vying to re-sign him along with the crosstown rival New York Mets, World Series champion and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as the American League East Division rival Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
The Phillies cruised to a National League East title in 2024, but were eliminated by the division rival Mets in the National League Division Series. Soto set career highs in hits (166), home runs (41) and wins above replacement (7.9) during his lone season with the Yankees, helping the franchise make its first World Series appearance since 2009.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone reportedly met with Soto in southern California late Monday (November 18) afternoon after the Dodgers' reported interest. Soto is expected to be offered a deal worth up to $700 million this offseason.