Nationals, Phillies, Red Sox Favored To Sign Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Craig Kimbrel In 2019

The World Series ended two and a half months ago, and the best MLB free agents are still on the market. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado continue to seek lucrative contracts, and Craig Kimbrel doesn’t appear close to a deal.

Machado might be the first of the three free agents to sign a contract. He met with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees a few weeks ago, and all of them are considered to be legitimate contenders to land the infielder.

BetDSI gives Philadelphia the slight edge with +120 betting odds to sign Machado. It sounds like the Phillies have made the four-time All-Star the biggest offer, though it probably isn’t in the $300 million range like many expected it to be.

The White Sox have +150 odds to sign Machado after reportedly making him an offer worth close to $200 million. The Yankees and Machado likely would have come to an agreement already if New York made him the biggest offer, but there are rumors that the organization might not even be willing to go to $200 million. That’s why the Yankees are third with +200 odds.

Philadelphia and Chicago are also in the Bryce Harper Sweepstakes. Four teams stand out as the top contenders for the outfielder. Harper has met with representatives from the Phillies, White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals this offseason.

Washington is the favorite with +150 odds to keep their six-time All-Star. They reportedly made Harper a 10-year, $300 million offer at the end of the season, and the Nationals might be willing to give him an even bigger deal after speaking with him during the offseason.

The Phillies are a close second with +175 odds. It’s long been expected that Philadelphia will get either Machado or Harper. There’s a slim chance that the team could sign both superstars.

The Dodgers are third with +250 odds and the White Sox are fourth at +400. The Chicago Cubs are given +700 odds to sign Harper, though the front office reportedly is against spending big bucks this offseason.

Kimbrel won’t get the kind of money that Harper and Machado will receive, but he is the best reliever available. He’s been an All-Star in seven of the last eight seasons and posted a 2.74 ERA with the Boston Red Sox during last season’s title run.

We don’t know a ton about Kimbrel’s future. He reportedly began the offseason looking for a six-year, nine-figure contract, but it’s hard to believe any team will give him that kind of money.

A return to Boston once seemed unlikely for Kimbrel, but that may no longer be the case with seemingly no team willing to offer him $100 million. The Red Sox haven’t acquired any relievers, and that could be a sign that the team is hoping to keep their closer on a shorter deal. Boston is a +150 favorite to sign Kimbrel.

The Atlanta Braves have +200 odds to land Kimbrel. Kimbrel could be a fit for a Braves’ team that needs to upgrade their bullpen, but the reliever might be out of their price range.

There have been reports that Philadelphia is interested in Kimbrel, but they have less of a need for him after landing David Robertson. Philadelphia has +300 odds to sign the closer.

The Los Angeles Angels have +350 odds to acquire Kimbrel.