Juan Soto had his “Bedlam at the Bank” moment on Saturday.
With Game 5 of the ALCS tied 2-2 in the top of the 10th, the Yankees slugger was at the plate with two men on and two out. Waiting for a fastball to hit, Soto fouled off two sliders and two changeups in the zone to stay alive against Hunter Gaddis. On the seventh pitch, Soto crushed a high fastball to deep center to give the Yankees the lead.
Both home runs, the Soto shot and Harper’s two-run home run against the Padres two years ago, had a similar feel. Both came on the seventh pitch of the at-bat and clinched the pennant. Both will go down as one of the more iconic home runs in LCS history. The “Soto Photo” won’t mean as much to Yankees fans as “Bedlam at the Bank” does to Phillies fans.
But both home runs are a great example of what it means to have a locked-in version of one of the best hitters on the planet at your disposal. Soto’s at-bat did not feature a signature take like the 1-2 low changeup from Suarez, but he fought off pitches to extend the inning. And he did it with a flare only he has, nodding his head and staring down the pitcher before the ball is thrown.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe two swings alone justified the acquisition cost of both players for their respective teams. John Middleton famously told Harper he may have “underpaid” him after the home run. The Yankees, after clinching their first trip to the World Series since 2009, feel even better about paying a high price to acquire Soto in a trade back in December.
But did Soto’s monumental swing secure a long-term future in Yankee pinstripes? Don’t let recency bias cloud your judgment.
Soto is going to be the biggest prize in free agency this year. His next contract might not exceed Shohei Ohtani’s record of $700 million in total value, but he’ll beat the present-day value of the Ohtani deal ($468 million) and the average annual value (around $46 million).
He is a Scott Boras client and in most cases, money takes precedence over sentiment. Soto’s year in Yankee pinstripes has gone as well as anyone could have imagined. If New York wins the World Series with Soto, there will be even more pressure on owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman to make Soto a Yankee for life.
But the cost to retain the superstar slugger heading into his age 26 season next year will be unprecedented. The Yankees are the favorites to retain him, but there will be other suitors.
The Phillies should be among the top. Dave Dombrowski is right. They don’t need to add more stars to be a World Series contending club. Signing Soto, however, is the best thing they can do to maximize their current window of contention. In an offseason where most of the conversation so far has revolved around the Phillies’ flaws on offense, Soto represents everything the Phillies need to do better.
Believe it or not, Soto, if signed, would be the youngest everyday player on the Phillies. He has reached base at a .400 clip in each of his seven seasons as a big leaguer and has near perfect plate discipline. Add in his 30-40 home run potential and his ability to remain on the field and you have a player that’s well worth whatever price he would command in free agency.
It’s just a matter of whether or not the Phillies are maxed out when it comes to signing superstar talent. They have been as aggressive as just about anyone at the top of the market. It started with Harper in 2019 and reached another level when they re-signed Zack Wheeler to a three-year contract worth $42 million per season. The club’s pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason is also a sign that the Phillies will remain opportunistic, especially when it comes to younger talent.
The Harper signing is the biggest expenditure in Phillies history. A Soto deal would blow that out of the water, but if there’s no price Middleton is willing to pay to get his trophy back, signing him should be top priority.
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