MLB Rumors: Phillies Pondering Fresh Manny Machado Offer, Want Bryce Harper Also

The Bryce Harper and Manny Machado pursuit continues with neither player any closer to making a decision despite being nine days into the New Year. The interested teams are not relenting and are continuing with their pitches to ensure they do not lose out on the most sought-after free agents in baseball at the moment.

The Philadelphia Phillies are making their move on Harper this week and have set up their first face-to-face meeting with the right-fielder, who is No.1 on the wanted list of a number of teams this offseason.

The Phillies met with Harper’s agent Scott Boras during the winter meetings but it is a full court press this time around with principal owner John Middleton also part of the traveling party to meet the player and his representative in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Despite their meeting with Harper, NBC Sports Philadelphia reports that they are not relenting on their pursuit of Machado, whom they are also very keen on signing. It is being claimed that they will make another offer to the shortstop, while the details are unclear on the terms, they have made no such progress with Harper.

And Fancred’s Jon Heyman admits that it is possible for them to sign both the players, but it remains highly unlikely as it will come at a huge financial cost, stating: “Phillies contingent is making the trek to Las Vegas this coming weekend to visit with Bryce Harper. They are still among known trio on Machado as well. Signing both hasn’t been ruled out but seen as unlikely. If get neither, will re-evaluate (Keuchel? Kimbrel? Pollock?)”

The Chicago White Sox are the other team majorly pursuing both the free agent stars with Machado again the player that has been made an offer. They have already held meetings with both players during the winter meetings and when Machado visited their stadium in December during his three-city trip that also included New York and Philadelphia.

Both the players are said to be looking for 10-years that will earn them north of $300 million, but the White Sox are looking at offering seven-years at the most to either player. The Chicago franchise are said to favor Machado and look to be taking a different approach in tempting him to choose them.

White Sox already have Alonso Yonder – Machado’s brother-in-law – on their books and multiple reports are claiming that they have now signed Jon Jay, who is Machado’s close friend and training partner. It remains to be seen if they can influence the in-demand shortstop to choose the Windy City.

The New York Yankees are the third team in the mix for Machado and have been installed as the favorites despite their unwillingness to offer him the deal he desires. They are said to be offering a five-year deal closer to $180 million.

Machado is a big Yankees fan and is said to prefer them over the Phillies, which gives them an edge and a recent report claimed that the shortstop’s wife is also enamored by the city and is said to be keen to live in the Big Apple. The New York franchise, however, have shown little interest in Harper.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs are the two other teams on the Harper bandwagon, while his former team, the Washington Nationals, are also not giving up and are said to have made a fresh offer “much better” than their initial $300 million 10-year offer.

Machado is expected to sign first among the two in-demand free agents owing to it being three main teams pursuing him, while Harper’s free agency could go into February with there not being as clear a picture about where he might end up.