The longer Bryce Harper and Manny Machado’s free agency drags on, the more power their suitors wield.
According to an ESPN report, that could benefit the Phillies the most with both players and potentially even more so with Harper.
One club official sees the outfielder’s reported meeting with the Padres as a possible act of desperation. The belief is that including San Diego makes it clear that he and agent Scott Boras may not be getting the level of offers they were hoping for — in the 10-year, $300 million range.
“If I’m in [Boras’] position, I’m working like crazy to make sure that doesn’t [leak] out,” the official said of the Padres meeting. “Because it smells desperate. It makes it seem like you don’t have as much as you thought you would.”
Machado has also been linked to San Diego, and one agent said “the ship has probably sailed” on him landing with the Yankees.
One agent said that seeing a team jumping in late on a player is a sign they are looking for a bargain. It gives earlier pursuers of Harper and Machado — the Phillies and White Sox — leverage to wait the players out. The Padres were not alone in the bargain hunting. MLB Network reported the Giants were among a group of new teams that have tried getting in on the Harper sweepstakes recently.
“If you’re the Phillies and you don’t believe you have [serious] competition for both of them, you’re just sitting and waiting,” one agent said. “Even if one of them signs [with another team], the other guy probably needs you, at your number.”
The Padres aren’t close to contention, but another club official noted that fellow Boras client Eric Hosmer signed an eight-year, $144 million pact with San Diego in 2018. It was the largest contract in club history.
“Maybe they can make it work,” the official said.
With spring training starting next week, the clock is ticking.