MLB free company is true across the nook, and an enormous identify will hit the market. Juan Soto will likely be an unrestricted free agent at season’s finish, and a number of groups will likely be in on him.
A type of groups is the Philadelphia Phillies. In response to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “The Philadelphia Phillies are anticipated to strongly pursue him to crew up with Boras shopper Bryce Harper.” Will probably be a bidding warfare, however the Phillies have the cash and causes to go after Soto this offseason.
Why ought to the Phillies pursue Soto? Let’s discover.
Assist in the outfield
One of many Phillies’ fundamental priorities this offseason is the outfield. Ought to the Phillies win the bidding warfare, Soto might simply assist solidify the outfield — or no less than proper discipline.
The one downside with that is the Phillies might have to maneuver Nick Castellanos. They might probably transfer him to left discipline as he performed nine games there again in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies ought to do all the things of their energy to shore up the outfield and including Soto would just do that.
Soto is a strong outfielder who does not make many errors and may play all around the outfield. He spent most of 2024 in proper discipline however performed six video games in left and was the Yankees’ designated hitter in 5 video games.
In 300 total chances for a put-out, Soto transformed 289 of them. He additionally made solely one error all through the whole 2024 season.
Acquainted faces
Soto can be no stranger to the Phillies ought to he land with them. Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner have all performed with Soto of their days with the Washington Nationals.
One other acquainted face can be Phillies hitting coach Kevin Lengthy. Soto spent 4 years in Washington with Lengthy who helped him by his first few years within the main leagues. They gained a World Sequence ring collectively in 2019.
This is a bonus that the Phillies have that different groups do not and will play an element by which crew Soto chooses.
Hitter-friendly ballpark
The Phillies play their residence video games at Residents Financial institution Park, which is understood to be a hitter-friendly ballpark. This will likely come as a bonus to Soto.
What began out as Veterans Stadium and is now Residents Financial institution Bark, this ballpark has undoubtedly had its justifiable share of modifications that make it hitter-friendly.
The left discipline wall was moved again 5 toes after the 2005 season. The park’s outfield fences have been pushed again in 2007, and now the porches down the road and energy alleys aren’t deep.
The Phillies now have Monty’s Angle in left discipline, which is the hardest spot in the whole ballpark. Whereas it could be the hardest spot, batters who hit a ball there could also be operating for days. The angle was named after former Phillies supervisor David Montgomery. The angle was introduced throughout Montgomery’s induction into the crew’s Wall of Fame again in August 2024.
