Phillies Could Target Harper, Machado After Corbin Disappointment, Magic Johnson Denies Approach

The Philadelphia Phillies were expected to spend big this offseason in order to land the most coveted free agents on the market, but they have been beaten to the signing of Patrick Corbin by the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals are said to have reached an agreement with the top pitcher over a 6-year deal worth around $140 million. They are yet to officially unveil Corbin, with a pending physical said to be causing the delay, according to Chelsea Jaynes of the Washington Post. Corbin is a two-time All-Star and was 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 246 strikeouts in 200 innings last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also finished fifth in the National Cy Young voting.

The New York Yankees and the Phillies were keen to land Corbin this offseason, but they have been beaten by the Nationals despite the Philadelphia franchise’s owners confirming they were ready to spend large amounts of money bordering on ‘stupid’ to strengthen their team.

Corbin’s arrival in Washington gives the Nationals three top-level starting pitchers, owing to the presence of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. According to Sports Illustrated, the Nationals could have the most terrifying rotation in baseball at the moment.

The fallout from this Corbin saga could see the Phillies make aggressive plays in the free agency market in the coming weeks. Corbin was not the most sought-after free agent on the market, with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado also available. Harper, who played for the Nationals last season, reportedly rejected an offer of around $300 million over 10 years from his former employers. And now, after having landed Corbin, it is uncertain if they will return with a better bid for Harper.

According to CBS Sports, the Phillies could make an aggressive play in the coming weeks and look to sign both Harper and Machado, especially since the owners have confirmed that they are willing to shell out the big bucks. However, they will have to beat out a number of teams after it was reported by Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that the likes of the Chicago White Sox, the Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were also keen on landing Harper.

It was reported that the Dodgers had made a major play for the right fielder by using minority owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson to lead the delegation to convince him to move to LA. However, the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations has denied meeting with Harper over a potential move to the Dodgers, after revealing that his only meeting with the most sought-after free agent came two years ago.

“The only time I remember meeting Bryce Harper was on the field at Dodger Stadium two years ago when Dusty Baker introduced us,” Johnson said, as quoted on Yahoo Sports.