Over the course of the 2018-2019 baseball off season, all eyes have been on where Manny Machado and Bryce Harper will sign their new contract. Bryce Harper just finished his final season of his contract with the Washington Nationals. He made $21.65 million in 2018 with a $1 million incentive if he won the most valuable player award. Manny Machado just finished his final season of his contact with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he made $18 million in 2018. Originally, last year, the Baltimore Orioles signed Manny Machado with the one-year extension before the Orioles traded Manny to the Dodgers before the trade deadline came to a close in the 2018 season. Once the season ended, both Machado and Harper have become free agents for any team to sign. MLB sources say that during the off season, Harper and Machado are looking for playoff compatible teams to sign them for multiple years and a high pay role. Baseball fanatic, Aaron Adam, said, “This off season is one of the most exciting times in baseball with how many valuable free agents are available for teams to sign.”

Bryce Harper is a Las Vegas, Nevada native who was drafted from the College of Southern Nevada in 2010, by the Washington Nationals; Harper was the number one overall pick and made his major league debut on April 28, 2012. Ever since his debut, Harper has been Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, MVP, and a six time All-Star. Harper has been a key leader in the Nationals outfield for the past 7 years, but Bryce wants to win a World Series Championship. When asked about what team Harper will sign with, Nationals fan and LHS Junior Sophie Macomber said that she would like to see Harper stay in Washington with the Nationals because he is a leader when it comes time to play. She also says that if Harper stays in Washington, and the coaching staff is able to make some trades to get new players, they might have a high chance to make the postseason and possibly make the playoffs. The Nationals have been determined to resign their star outfielder this offseason, but Harper is determined to leave Washington and sign with a bigger ball club. Reporters have told news crews that Harper has meet with the Philadelphia Phillies but they have not offered a contract yet. Lafayette Junior and Phillies fan Thomas McLaughlin said, “Philadelphia deserves a star player to carry their team to a championship. The Phillies’s lineup is full of rookies and an experienced athlete like Harper or Machado will give our team the edge over our competition.” The only team to offer Harper is the Nationals, but Harper has declined the contract with his agent Scott Boras, and is not listening to other teams to see what types of contracts they can offer to the star outfielder.

Manny Machado was born in Hialeah, Florida and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft from Brito Miami Private School. Machado made his debut for the Orioles on August 9, 2012 and has been a lockdown infielder ever since. Machado plays third base and shortstop and is a powerhouse at bat. Last year, the Orioles traded Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the season since, the Dodgers were projected to make the playoffs, and they were in need for a star infielder. Over the course of 2018-2019 offseason, Machado has been the most valuable player to sign. MLB sources say that Manny has met with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. Rumors say that Machado is likely to sign to the Yankees because he has followed many Yankee social media accounts and that he wants to play for a team that is likely to win a championship. Lafayette Junior Ryan Labella, a Yankees fan, said “The Yankees don’t need Machado in their line up because he will cost the team a lot of money since they already signed a major contract with