(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
We are three weeks away from spring training games being played, and the two best players on the market are yet to sign with a team. Almost everyday, I have to answer questions from casual baseball fans about what is going on. Why haven’t they signed yet? Do the Phillies still want them? Will they hold out ‘till the season starts for money? To be honest, I really don’t have the answers. Baseball is the only sport where this nonsense happens. In football and basketball, you know where most of the top guys are going within 24-48 hours of free agency beginning.
It just so happens to be extra annoying because the Phillies are involved. The Phillies have been heavily linked to both players, and Phillies fans are eager to have one of them (or both) join the team soon. It seems as though both Harper and Machado have overplayed their hand. I don’t think they were getting the $300 million contracts they were expecting. I believe the longer this goes on, the more it will benefit the Phillies.
Let these guys price themselves out. The Phillies will hopefully be able to get them at a better price. The extra money saved can be used to improve the roster next off-season. The Phil’s certainly have improved the roster this off-season. Now, it is all about adding the missing piece with Machado or Harper. If their agents just keep telling them to wait, it just means more leverage for the the Phillies.
