May 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) stands on the field after striking out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports Wendell Cruz
Not only have the Phillies not met with Scott Boras and Juan Soto, a new report suggests they may not be much of a suitor at all for the 26-year-old.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote this of where the Phillies stand in the Soto sweepstakes as of Monday:
"Oh, and after all of speculation that the Philadelphia Phillies are involved in the Soto sweepstakes?
"They haven’t had a single conversation with Boras to express interest in Soto."
This does seem to conflict, at least to some degree, with a report from Jon Heyman of The New York Post last week that suggested that while the Phillies hadn't yet met with Soto and Boras, they were hoping to do so:
The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them.
Maybe the Phillies will still meet with Soto and Boras, although it would seem if they were a serious contender they would have been at the table by now. ESPN's Buster Olney reported Sunday that "sources involved in the Soto talks expect the teams will begin forwarding offers this week." Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote last week that there's a belief around the sport that Soto could sign before the MLB Winter Meetings, which begin on Dec. 9.
Managing partner John Middleton did suggest earlier this month that he believed Soto was most likely to sign with one of two New York teams, but seemed to indicate the Phillies would at least check in on the five-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
"I'm afraid Juan Soto wants to be in New York, and I don't mind being a stalking horse, " Middleton said, according to Conor Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"At some point, if Dave and I get that feeling, we'll probably say 'You know what, we're not going to win this' because we've both been the stalking horse before. And if I were an agent, I would do it too. It's perfectly good strategy. I mean, it's smart. But at the end of the day, I just think he likes New York."
The guess here is that before Soto ultimately signs with the Yankees or Mets, a story will surface that the Phillies had some sort of due-diligence conversation with Boras regarding his top client. But this report seems to be the clearest indication yet that the Phillies are probably not a serious suitor for Soto.
Lucky isn't the right word. But Juan Soto's free agency shows how fortunate the Phillies were with Bryce Harper.
Allow me to explain... @OnPattison https://t.co/23vv5Z4aOd
