Phillies: MLB’s most all-in GM this offseason

Negotiating the buzz:   

If you peruse rumors by the dozen, they can be confusing. But organizing them into groups makes them more understandable. For Instance, one category is management’s first choice: Corbin as a starter.

The next type is the backup plan for each hole to plug. In this case, a lefty for the five-man staff would be Happ by inking or Bumgarner through a trade. However, two players can be almost equal with the difference being dollars or the side a hurler throws from or a regular bats with. Translation: a sort of tiebreaker!

In the last group, long shots are usually obvious like a recent proposal to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Paul “Goldy” Goldschmidt. Yes, a right-handed hitting first baseman only makes sense because he can launch 30-35 bombs. But the deal fell apart with the introduction of Carlos Santana into it.

With more complicated factors, maneuvering is something general manager Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees recently tried with Stanton. Basically, the Yanks have a right-heavy middle of the order, and they want to open a spot for Harper to beneficially upgrade a corner outfield position.

Of course, completing a swap involves the players you’re making available. For the Phillies, right-hander Adonis Medina was the minor league pitcher Klentak offered to the Baltimore Orioles for Machado last July. So, the third-ranked prospect in the pipeline could move in December.

Regarding the competition, New York (AL) isn’t looking to go overboard monetarily. They want to trade Stanton to add Harper and may limit their offer to Corbin after swapping for Paxton. Meanwhile, the Houston Astros have three openings in their rotation, but they won’t overpay.

The Washington Nationals have a television-rights dispute with Baltimore, so their current proposals may involve deferred payments. Additionally, the Atlanta Braves reportedly had roughly $50 million to spend before committing $23 million to Donaldson. But they could fill multiple spots with the $27 million left.