Bryce Harper and Manny Machado Signing

An Up-Close Look at the 2019 Off-Season MLB Trade Deadlines

Drew Ramos, Major Reporter|January 15, 2019

Manny Machado played for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, but is now a free agent.

Ian D'Andrea [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Manny Machado played for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, but is now a free agent.

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 started his career with the Washington Nationals, but is now a free agent.

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.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are the top two free agents on the market this offseason.

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

Troy Tulowitzki just signed with the Yankees even though Machado is discussing a deal with the Yankees.
outfielder Giancarlo Staunton last season. If the Yankees do end up signing Machado for how much money he wants, the team will be limited for the rest of the season on how much money they are able to spend on other high valuable players.” However, the All-Star infielder loves to play shortstop and the Yankees recently received star shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki. What was once merely rumor that Machado was going to be definite Yankee, has possibly turned into myth.  Also, Machado has unfollowed all of the social media accounts associated with the Yankees and no one has any idea where he is going to sign for the 2019 season. Teagan Perozek, a LHS Junior and fan of Manny Machado, said, “I don’t really care where Machado will continue his career, all I know is that wherever he ends up, he will display dominance on the field and in the batter’s box.”

 

Manny Machado looks at his former teammates for the final time before he became a free agent.
With spring training approaching, Harper and Machado still not on a team, will Machado and Harper possibly enter the beginning of the season without a team? Machado and Harper are being picky about what team they want to sign with, but they may not have a choice on what team they are going to play for and how much money per year they will receive. Machado and Harper may be some of the best players in the league right now, but there is always a price to competition and how successful a team wants to be.