Phillies rumors: Team to meet Scott Boras, but may prefer Manny Machado
The Phillies are scheduling a meeting with Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings, but may still be more inclined to sign Manny Machado.
The 2018 MLB Winter Meetings are well underway with plenty of rumors already emerging. The Phillies are expected to be active and have wasted no time in their pursuit of free agents.
Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Philadelphia and superagent Scott Boras are scheduling a time to meet at the Winter Meetings. Boras represents Bryce Harper and Zach Britton, both of whom the club is interested in per Salisbury.
Perhaps the more intriguing part of Salisbury’s report is that despite their interest in meeting with Boras and Harper, the Phils appear to have more interest in Manny Machado than Harper. Machado, who is represented by Dan Lozano, is also expected to field multiple meetings from interested teams this week.
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Salisbury’s report only adds to the narrative regarding the team’s preference between Harper and Machado. There have already been multiple conflicting reports regarding who the team is interested in. We may not know who the team truly prefers until after both players sign.
Gabe Kapler spoke to the media today at a press conference and was asked about Harper and Machado.
Now this may be reading into things, but Kapler had more to say about Harper than Machado:
Gabe Kapler was asked today about Bryce Harper and Manny Machado as the #Phillies continue to pursue both pic.twitter.com/e6EXwnsrqA
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) December 10, 2018
Kapler spoke positively about both players, but he obviously found more specific things to praise Harper for. Could this be a sign of Kapler doing his homework about a player his team wants? Or, is it him trying to remain vague and throw off the media as they try to decipher which player the team is gunning for?
Whichever player the team prefers, negotiations with them could last well beyond the Winter Meetings. Both players are looking for massive deals, which don’t come together overnight. Harper will likely wait for Machado to sign to serve as a baseline for what his deal should look like.
Early rumblings from the MLB Winter Meetings. dark. Next
The offseason rumor mill is kicking into overdrive this week, and the Phillies should be right at the center of it all.