The Philadelphia Phillies' connection to Bryce Harper and Manny Machado continues to consume Major League Baseball and spark conversation throughout the sluggish offseason.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale called the Phillies 'clear-cut favorite" to sign Harper following a five-hour meeting with him in his hometown of Las Vegas on Saturday.
The subsequent Tuesday brought more news from Nightengale associating Philadelphia with multiple superstars.
According to Nightengale, team executives have suggested the National League East club has "visions" of adding Harper, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel this winter.
Signing Harper alone would add a jolt to an already up and coming Phillies team that added another former MVP in Andrew McCutchen earlier in the offseason.
The 26-year old finished 2018 with career highs in rbi's (100) and walks (130) after heating up post-All-Star weekend. A middle of the lineup featuring Harper, McCutchen and young slugger Rhys Hoskins would rank near the top in baseball. Combined, the trio finished 2018 with 88 home runs and 261 rbi's.
The elephant in the room for Philadelphia is the unexpected, yet anticipated, collapse from the young and unproven team.
Eyeing 2015 American League Cy Young award winning pitcher Dallas Keuchel to join a starting rotation featuring Jake Arrieta (2015 National League Cy Young award winner) and Aaron Nola (2018 Cy Young award finalist) allows Philadelphia to matchup against any team.
Keuchel tossed 204.2 innings while in Houston last season. Signing the left-hander would add a needed piece to a rotation that saw only one starter throw over 200 innings. Keuchel also won the 2017 World Series and give the Phillies an extra playoff veteran to the roster.
Starting a game with Keuchel, Arrieta or Nola and then feeding the ninth inning to seven-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel would give any opposing team chills. Kimbrel is one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball over the past decade accumulating 333 saves and posting a sub 2.00 ERA. Last season with the World Series-winning Red Sox, Kimbrel piled up 42 saves and accompanied his electric 2018 regular season by striking out 96 batters in just 62.1 innings.
Adding the three superstars may be just a "vision," but Philadelphia's front office has every intention for going for it all. Already linked to superstars like Harper and Machado, Philadelphia knows the steps needed to take over the National East.
Signing Harper, Keuchel and Kimbrel may limit the Phillies financially for years to come but consistent postseason appearances seem to have infected Philadelphia with tunnel vision.
According to Spotrac.com, the triad of stars are projected to make $69 million in relation to their market value.
While the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants decrease payroll, the Phillies are jumping in the money pond head first in order to compete with baseball's elite.
Catch up on all the latest MLB news down below:
Phillies favorites to land Bryce Harper:
https://www.bushleaguesports.net/blog/phillies-new-favorites-for-harper
Giants,Brewers talking Madison Bumgarner trade:
https://www.bushleaguesports.net/blog/giants-brewers-in-talks-of-potential-madison-bumgarner-trade
White Sox favorites to land Manny Machado:
https://www.bushleaguesports.net/blog/white-sox-aggressively-pursuing-manny-machado
Bryce Harper Offseason round up:
https://www.bushleaguesports.net/blog/bryce-harper-once-in-a-lifetime-free-agent
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