Philadelphia Phillies: Trading Harper for Juan Soto is ludicrous at best
The Philadelphia Phillies are enjoying the All-Star break as they sit six games above .500, clinging to the smallest of leads for the third and final Wild Card spot. During the 162-game grind, and especially as the season hits a lull until their next game on Friday, there are bound to be some wacky stories that make their way to the forefront of the newsday. One of those stories came forward yesterday as one local radio host argued a point that was beyond bold.
Joe Giglio of 94.1 Sports Radio WIP contended yesterday that the Philadelphia Phillies should offer the Washington Nationals reigning MVP Bryce Harper in exchange for their disgruntled star, Juan Soto. Desiring Soto is certainly interesting, though, as Giglio clearly lays out, the Phillies do not have the prospects to compete with teams like the Dodgers or the Yankees.
Would the Phillies be interested in Soto? Would Washington want a reunion with their former superstar? Would Soto even make Philadelphia better? As crazy a concept as that sounds, a clear argument can be made for the Phillies to avoid this type of deal.
The very concept of the Philadelphia Phillies trading Bryce Harper for Juan Soto trade is ludicrous at best for many reasons.
There are many reasons why this deal does not make sense for Philadelphia. One of the most important is just how important Bryce Harper has been to the Phillies since arriving in March of 2019. He’s been a leader, an icon, and most importantly, one of the best players in all of Major League Baseball.
Harper was the MVP just last season. And thanks to the inflation of MLB contracts, it is now one of the better deals in baseball. While his contract was the largest in the history of North American sports at the time he signed it, and it still is the fifth largest, when you break it down by average annual value, he’s not even in the top 20. Without question, his contract is a steal for the Phillies.
Giglio also states that the Phillies would have to give up more for Soto than just Harper, which makes sense considering the former is six years younger than the latter, but again, is that worthwhile for the Phillies? Considering that Juan Soto is an absolute flight risk (after his next two arbitration-eligible seasons) and has already turned down the largest contract in North American sports history, the answer is likely not.
On top of all of this, Bryce Harper has a no-trade clause. The odds of him accepting a deal to a rebuilding team, especially the one that did not want to pay him, is beyond unlikely. Even if the Phillies wanted to move Harper for Soto, unless he okayed the move, the odds of which being roughly none to none, there’s no way it would happen.
Next. Dream starting lineup after the trade deadline. dark
Is Juan Soto a better player than Bryce Harper peak for peak? Maybe. Should the Phillies at least make a call about Juan Soto? Absolutely. Trading Harper for Soto, however, is a clear and obvious mistake, one that’s not even on the table. The Philadelphia Phillies are far better off pursuing talents like Ian Happ or Andrew Benintendi at the deadline. Then in the offseason, pursuing a star like Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, or Xander Bogaerts in free agency.