It’s cold outside but the baseball griddle is still cooking and there are no hotter names this offseason than Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
While it doesn’t appear as if Harper or Machado is any closer to signing a deal than they were a week or two ago, both players continue to be the subject of rumors.
It sounds as if the Chicago White Sox are in play for both players as are the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Dodgers are “lurking” for Harper as are the Yankees for Machado, according to The New York Post.
What’s interesting is that LA and New York both have huge contracts on their books already and would be unlikely to offer either player a lucrative long-term deal.
However, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of offering a front-loaded contract which would give Harper or Machado the chance to win now while at the same time giving them a shot at cashing in as a free agent down the road.
Particularly for Harper, a short-term deal in a market for LA could be a huge stepping-stone move for his brand as well as his baseball career.
“Scott Boras has sold his client as the baseball LeBron,” according to The New York Post. “Well, the basketball LeBron has regularly gambled on himself with short contracts to get what he wants: championship chasing in Miami, hometown adoration in Cleveland, post-career possibilities in Los Angeles. Does Harper really want the White Sox or Phillies? Or should he gamble on himself that there is so much more on and off the field as a Dodger?”
We’ll find out Harper’s, and Machado’s, decision in the coming weeks.
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