The Phillies already have met with Manny Machado this offseason, but it appears Philadelphia isn’t done courting free-agent superstars.
As the Phillies await Machado’s decision, the club reportedly will continue to kick the tires on Bryce Harper. Philadelphia allegedly met with Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, at last month’s winter meetings, but according to NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury, the Phillies are planning to hold a face-to-face meeting with Harper in his hometown of Las Vegas within the next week or so.
Machado remains Philadelphia’s priority on the open market, per Salisbury, but it will be no easy task to obtain the four-time All-Star. While Machado openly has expressed his desire to play shortstop, the Phillies reportedly like the idea of playing the 26-year-old at third base. Not to mention, the Machado bidding war could get awfully steep, especially with the New York Yankees reportedly in the mix.
If Philadelphia does end up missing out on Machado, you can do a whole lot worse than Harper for a Plan B. Harper, of course, is one of the best players in the game, and his addition to a Phillies team that’s littered with young talent could prompt sustained success in the City of Brotherly Love.
But much like Machado, Harper in all likelihood will be seeking a monster payday, so Philadelphia should be prepared to open up its wallet.
