Phillies: Favorite or long shot for top 2 free agents
By Tal Venada
If the Phillies sign one superstar in early January, they will have a slight advantage by waiting out the competition for the client from the Boras Corporation, and general manager Matt vKlenak could get the green light from ownership to ink him as well.
Slim chance:
Many Philadelphia Phillies fans will be ecstatic if the front office acquires either Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, but some will frown on Machado after his October antics. And if he does anything questionable, they will remind everybody of their opposition to his signing.
"IN OTHER WORDS “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.” – W.C. Fields"
To land a $350 million megastar requires a deep-pocketed franchise, and a commitment of this length and amount is not a decision for Klentak or even president Andy MacPhail. No, co-owner John S. Middleton must sign off on it for ownership. Klentak is only the point man.
Despite the manufactured hype from writers, agents, players and teams, an organization must have a need. To illustrate, the Phils have Scott Kingery and J.P. Crawford to handle short, while Roman Quinn is in right field. Therefore, shortstop Machado and right fielder Harper are fits.
On the other hand, timing can also be critical. The red pinstripes are ready to contend, and this opportunity is convenient. However, some clubs cut 2018’s payroll to reset their base tax rate for exceeding the competitive-balance threshold in 2019. But their reasons may be different.
Competition-wise, most rebuilding franchises don’t want to allocate $35 million per summer for two campaigns before they know how close their youngsters are. Of course, they don’t want to aimlessly spend $70 million either. But some might be okay for one season.
As for small-market teams, they must use their financial resources carefully. They can plug three holes with $35 million, and pitching is almost always a priority. But even if they have a shot at the pennant, they must add stars from the second tier of free agents.
Other than hurlers, the needs of most organizations vary. For instance, the New York Yankees need a left-side bat with power like Harper, but they have no openings for a corner outfielder: Hence, a rumor had Harper switching to first base. However, they need a rotation piece, like they did at the trading deadline.