Phillies getting "aggressive" in Manny Machado pursuit
Jon Heyman

The
Phillies, who have long loved Manny Machado, have stepped up their
pursuit of the Orioles superstar, sources said. Those same sources claim they are also in the hunt
for another player they love, his teammate and closer Zach Britton.
One source said the Phillies are getting "aggressive."
Rivals suggest Philly is interested in making a huge mark, and this could be it.
The Phillies haven't been called the favorite
yet, and the Brewers, Dodgers, Yankees and maybe a couple others remain
in the hunt for Machado. But there have been suggestions they are
willing to part with at least one from the higher tier of their
excellent prospect list. Given that, as of Friday they would seem to have as good a chance as anyone.
The word in circles is that the Phillies
would not part with top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and also probably Enyel De Los Santos, who had an impressive MLB debut this week,
but the names of several other fine prospects are floating.
Jim Salisbury of Comcast Philadelphia mentioned pitchers Adonis Medina,
Ranger Suarez and Franklyn Kilome, infielder Arquimedes Gamboa and
outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz, as well as big leaguers such as outfielder
Aaron Altherr and third baseman Maikel Franco.
Almost the entire Phillies executive team came from
Baltimore, including president Andy MacPhail, GM Matt Klentak and Joe
Jordan, the scouting director who picked both Machado and Britton. They covet those two Orioles, just as they did ex-Oriole Jake Arrieta,
another favorite from Baltimore who signed a lucrative contract with the Phillies.
Philadelphia owner John Middleton, who's already
made an impact with the Arrieta and Carlos Santana signings, is said to
desire a "big splash." And for good reason, since the Phillies are
atop the NL East and are a clear contender for the division title already.
The Yankees' were said to have made a "strong" offer, but the names attached to the Phillies may give them an edge.
Sources indicate that at least them, the Dodgers and Brewers are still
involved, while the Diamondbacks may be, as well. Less has been heard in
recent days about the Indians and Cubs.
Machado would play shortstop for the Phillies,
and he probably wouldn't mind rejoining the folks that brought him to
the big leagues; he already made clear he has a strong preference to stay at short.
The Yankees and Indians both were thinking about third base while the
NL teams could all presumably employ him at shortstop.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Phillies improved offer for Machado.
Britton is drawing major interest, as well, with
at least six teams believed to be involved, likely including
the Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, Dodgers and Indians. As
one Orioles person put it, "He is an asset unto himself," and someone
who could potentially bring back as much as Machado.
Britton impressed scouts by throwing 96-to-98 mph
in picking up a save against the Yankees this week. Philly could use help
in the bullpen, but the left side of the infield is their biggest need.
Jon Heyman is Fancred's baseball insider. He publishes his weekly Inside Baseball column each Thursday on the App and FancredSports.com. You can download the App here and interact with Jon by following him right here.