Add Philadelphia to the list.
One of the Mets’ rivals, the reigning NL East-champion Phillies, are joining the pursuit of superstar MLB free agent Juan Soto.
“The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them,” The Post’s Jon Heyman wrote on X on Tuesday.
It’s a titillating thought — Soto, 26, batting between Bryce Harper and Trea Turner — but would be an expensive endeavor to pay all three of those superstars.
The Yankees and Mets are considered front-runners in the Soto sweepstakes with the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Red Sox also in the mix.
The Phillies have been on the precipice of a World Series for the past several years and adding the outfielder could get them over the hump.
The Phillies were among the best teams in baseball for much of the season before tailing off in the latter months and falling to the Mets in four games in the NLDS.
Soto is not the only big name the team has been linked to.
ESPN’s Buster Olney noted that Alex Bregman — a .272 career hitter and key piece in both of the Houston Astros’ recent World Series wins — would be an ideal fit for the Phillies, who are reportedly looking to trade Alex Bohm.
Soto, though, remains the prize of the offseason after helping the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.
During his 2024 season in The Bronx, Soto set career highs in hits (166), home runs (41) and wins above replacement (7.9).
Mets owner Steve Cohen has already had “very detailed” meetings with the slugger and may be the most likely franchise owner to shell out the $700 million Soto and his agent Scott Boras are pining for.
