I feel as though I’ve beaten a dead horse with the Machado talk as of late. The thought of such an exciting acquisition has made some of us forget that the Phillies are in first place. From what I gather through social media, many fans had become consumed with the idea of adding the Orioles all-star. As I wake up early this morning, it looks as though those dreams have been shattered. When I woke up yesterday, the Phillies were the most likely destination. Today, a trade with the Dodgers is expected to become official. How could this happen so quick?
Even though it seemed as if he would be a Phillie, the Dodgers swooped in with a better offer yesterday and the Phillies were unable to one-up it. Basically, it came down to the Phillies willingness to give up number one prospect Sixto Sanchez. Sixto is not only the Phillies best pitching prospect, but also their number one overall prospect. I can’t say I know that much about Sixto Sanchez. I have seen some clips and it’s clear he has electric stuff. He has 95mph+ stuff that you can’t teach. While I often praise Nola for not needing that to succeed, it doesn’t hurt to have it. If Sixto puts it all together, he will be at the top of the Phillies rotation right next to Nola for many years to come.
You’re going to have some fans that would’ve included him in the deal. You’re going to have some that wouldn’t have. It can really go either way. Prospects are such a hit or miss thing. For many years, every team wanted the Yankees Luis Severino whenever they were working on a deal. The Yankees always deemed him untouchable and now he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. Phillies fans can only hope that the same outcome holds true for Sixto Sanchez. I can’t help but look back at the once untouchable Kyle Drabek. The Phillies would never include him in any deals, not even for Cliff Lee. They only parted ways with him to acquire Roy Halladay. He went on to have a very underwhelming career to say the least.
Here are my final thoughts. As much as fans like to think we know, the Phillies know better than all of us on the potential of Sixto Sanchez. If they feel he is truly untouchable, then we have to take them at their word. Would it be great to have Manny Machado as a Phillie? It damn sure would be. Unfortunately, those thoughts will have to wait until the offseason when he becomes a free agent. Meanwhile, if you are a Phillies fan. You better hope Sixto is closer to Severino than he is Drabek.
