Juan Soto trade talks are heating up and the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested

According to reports, the Philadelphia Phillies are one of the teams interested in trading for current San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Juan Soto will be available on the trade block this winter and the Philadelphia Phillies are a team that appears to be interested. 

What looked inevitable across the industry a month ago — the payroll-cutting Padres would be forced to trade Soto, who will make more than $30 million in arbitration before hitting free agency after the 2024 season — is edging closer to becoming a reality for the franchise. San Diego, sources said, is engaging teams in trade talks for the 25-year-old, whom they acquired at the 2022 trade deadline.

The potential complications are manifold. Soto’s salary, even for one year, is a nonstarter for a number of teams. Others are loath to deal significant talent for a player who could leave after the season. And it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Padres could extend Soto, though sources said it’s a long shot. [ESPN]

I really don’t understand any of the conversations surrounding Juan Soto and how he wouldn’t be a good teammate. There are a ton of people on social media even going as far as saying that he would be a “clubhouse cancer” if he ended up in Philadelphia. 

That makes zero sense. 

Juan Soto has a great relationship with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner and also Phillies’ hitting coach Kevin Long. They were all teammates in Washington. Not to mention, Soto believe it or not, will fill one of the few Phillies’ needs this offseason. 

Not to mention, if the Phillies clubhouse and team culture is so great (it is) then why would adding anyone negatively impact it? Great locker room cultures bring new players into the fold and make it work, right? I doubt Soto is going to come to Philly and “ruin everything”. That’d be absolutely insane.

Trust me. I understand that the Phillies’ 2024 roster is pretty much set in stone but you can’t deny that improvements still need to be made, specifically in the outfield. 

For the sake of Soto, we’ll assume that Nick Castellanos remains in right field and Bryce Harper is locked in at first base in 2024. That would mean that Kyle Schwarber would be the team’s designated hitter full time, which leaves left field and centerfield open for the taking. 

Right now, Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Cristian Pache are on the roster as the options in both centerfield and left field. Sounds like we need to make a move here right? 

Who would be better than Juan Soto? He led Major League Baseball last season in walks (132) while hitting .275 with 35 home runs and 109 RBI. He’s a three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger.

Here’s what Matt Gelb from The Athletic said about the possibility of both Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas starting in 2024. 

Based on conversations with Phillies officials, rival clubs and agents, it’s evident the Phillies have attempted to find creative solutions to address the outfield. They have two younger players — Brandon Marsh, 25, and Johan Rojas, 23 — who could fill starting spots. But the Phillies have varying levels of confidence in either one as an everyday player in 2024. In essence, they do not want to commit to 600 plate appearances each for Marsh or Rojas, but also do not want to eliminate the chance that one or both could thrive. [The Athletic]

The only caveat that the Phillies may think to be too much of a risk. He’s just 25 years old (positive) but will be a free agent in 2025. If you do trade for Soto, the Phillies should want to almost immediately give him an extension while also working on extending Zack Wheeler and adding another arm to the rotation and ideally, a certified closer in the bullpen. 

The Phillies would also have to empty the farm system but I can’t stress this enough, NO PROSPECT IS UNTOUCHABLE. I have zero issue unloading our top pitching prospects. Mick Abel, Griff McGarry, and the currently injured Andrew Painter should all be considered as trade pieces to land a player like Juan Soto, even more so given the fact that the Padres reportedly want young pitching in return. 

So there’s something that Phillies fans should definitely keep an eye on as the winter meetings begin this week. Soto would be great, but I’m still on the side of trading for Mike Trout and signing one or two of the NPL pitching prospects to round out the rotation and bullpen.

Additional pitching options from the Nippon Professional Baseball league the Phillies need to consider in free agency >>

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