January 15, 2019
The rumors continue to swirl, and he Philadelphia Phillies remain near the center of the baseball world as we anxiously await decisions from the two top free agents this winter, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
Both players have already met with the Phillies brass. First it was Machado, who the Phils reportedly favored following that meeting at Citizens Bank Park. But after meeting with Harper in Las Vegas over the weekend, the Phillies are now seemingly shifting their focus to the former Nationals outfielder.
There's also several other second-tier free agent options to improve their rotation, like Dallas Keuchel or trade targets like starters Corey Kluber, Madison Bumgarner or Robbie Ray. Not to mention any everyday players the Phillies see as backup plans to Harper and Machado — say, Mike Moustakas or Nick Castellanos.
For now, however, the entire baseball world seems stuck in a holding pattern as they wait for Machado and Harper to sign. Once that happens, look out. All hell could break loose and we may be in store for a free-agent frenzy.
Will Matt Klentak and Andy MacPhail be able to make good on the organization's promise to get "stupid" with their money? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here's a look at all the latest free agency news and trade rumors surrounding the Phillies, as well as the rest of the league.
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