Neither Bryce Harper nor Manny Machado have decided where they want to continue their respective careers, but they apparently had their eyes on the same prize.
The two All-Stars are the cream of this free agent crop, and both have a number of teams chasing them. The Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox appear to be in the market for both, while the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs could be an option for Harper. The New York Yankees have shown little interest in the star outfielder, but have met with Machado who reportedly will make his decision some time after the New Year.
While the Bronx Bombers only are interested in one of the two star free agents, the Evil Empire reportedly was the preference of both players, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post.
Buried in his story on Harper and Machado on Tuesday, Sherman noted that the “word” is that neither player wants to sign with the Phillies and both “preferred” the Yankees.
Of course, the Yankees would have to dump an immense amount of payroll to sign both Harper and Machado, so it’s unlikely both were ever going to end up wearing pinstripes. As for the Yankees’ choice to pursue Machado over Harper, it comes down to necessity. With Didi Gregorius undergoing Tommy John surgery, New York is in need of help at shortstop and could move Machado to third once Gregorius returns.
As for Harper, the Dodgers appear to be a likely destination, but we wouldn’t rule out the Cubs if they can clear salary cap space in time.
