MLB Rumors: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Patrick Corbin Favored To Sign With Phillies Or Yankees

Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Patrick Corbin are expected to get the three most lucrative contracts this offseason. With the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees looking to make a bigger splash than anyone in free agency, it wouldn’t at all be a surprise to see all three players end up in Philadelphia and the Bronx.

There have been rumors for weeks that Philadelphia will go after both Harper and Machado. They are currently the betting favorites at BetDSI in terms of where each player will begin the 2019 MLB season. The Yankees are long shots to sign Harper, but they’ve got the second-best odds to land Machado.

If Harper ultimately signs a contract worth well north of $300 million with the Phillies like many people expect, it would make sense for Machado to land in New York. The infielder reportedly wants to play for the Yankees, and he could fill a hole for New York on the left side of the infield.

Then there’s Corbin, who isn’t a superstar like Harper or Machado, but is the biggest free-agent prize when it comes to starting pitching. The 29-year-old has improved in each of the past few seasons, culminating with a top-five NL Cy Young season for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018.

It’s no secret that the Yankees have their eyes on Corbin. The team is looking to acquire multiple starting pitchers, and Corbin might be at the top of their list. New York has already traded for James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners.

Corbin visited Philadelphia Tuesday, potentially making it a two-team race for the left-hander, though Corbin does have other suitors.

The Phillies have been linked to just about every free agent of note. With tons of money to spend, Philadelphia is interested in players like Craig Kimbrel, Michael Brantley and Nathan Eovaldi, in addition to the Big 3 free agents, according to MLB.com's Jon Morosi.

The Yankees could re-sign J.A. Happ, who was the team’s best pitcher after he was traded to New York in the middle of last season. They haven’t been linked to many big free agent hitters, other than Machado.