MLB Predictions: Bryce Harper To The Chicago White Sox, Manny Machado To The Philadelphia Phillies

The 2018 Winter Meetings are coming to an end, and we still don’t have an answer to the biggest question of the MLB offseason—where will Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sign?

The two best free agents in baseball remain unsigned, though the realistic potential landing spots appear to be coming into focus.

Machado is scheduled to meet with the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox. One-third of the league has been at least linked to Harper at some point, though Philadelphia and Chicago are emerging as the frontrunners. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in play for the outfielder, and the Washington Nationals have not ruled out bringing back the superstar. The Yankees are a long shot to acquire Harper, while the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are not the candidates that they once appeared to be.

There have been discussions of “mystery” teams, so it’s possible that someone few insiders are talking about will swoop in and make a competitive offer to one of the 26-year-olds. Harper is expected to surpass the $325 million Giancarlo Stanton signed for in 2014. Machado might not break the record, though he could get close to $300 million.

Which teams will be willing to give out that kind of money? According to the latest reports, Chicago and Philadelphia appear ready to offer the most lucrative contracts.

It’s Chicago’s willingness to spend that has made them the frontrunners to acquire Harper, according to CBS Sports’ Jim Bowden. The White Sox aren’t close to winning a World Series after going 62-100 in 2018, but they are hoping to sell Harper on their future with promising young players and a strong minor-league system.

Philadelphia seemingly has more money to spend than anyone. The team has admitted it might even be “stupid” with the way it signs free agents this season. The Phillies are expected to land one of the two stars.

If you listen to the reports coming from the Winter Meetings, it sounds like Philadelphia prefers to sign Machado over Harper. That makes sense, considering the Phillies just gave outfielder Andrew McCutchen a three-year, $50 million contract.

Machado’s first choice is reportedly to sign with the Yankees. New York can probably have the infielder if they want him, but they don’t seem likely to match the four-time All-Star’s contract demands. The Yankees reportedly won’t go to $300 million for Machado. New York has shown restraint when it comes to offering long contracts, and they might try to get Machado on a shorter deal for a higher yearly salary.

That strategy might not work when you’ve got a team like the Phillies lurking. If Philadelphia offers Machado $300 million over 10 years, that’s going to be hard to turn down.

Harper is expected to let Machado sign first as he continues to gauge the market. You can bet that Scott Boras will make sure to top whatever contract Machado gets.

If the Phillies land Machado, that could open the door even further for the White Sox to make a play for Harper. Chicago is ready to be competitive again, and locking up the youngest unanimous MVP in history for a decade is certainly a start.

Prediction: Harper signs with the White Sox, Machado signs with the Phillies