MLB Roundup 1/3: Updates on the Big Two

Updating the two biggest names in free agency

Pretty much nothing happened in the baseball world on Wednesday, which is kind of a bummer after the first real day back from the holiday break. A lull in the action during the week of Christmas and New Years is to be expected, but I want my hot stove back, dammit. All we got yesterday were some reports on the two biggest names in free agency, and quite possibly the two players responsible for holding back the pace of the winter. We’ll start with Bryce Harper, who is quite possibly the biggest name in baseball these days (which is obviously not the same as saying he’s the best player) but strangely hasn’t seen a huge market develop. The Phillies appear to be the most aggressive in pursuit of the outfielder, and reports came out on Wednesday that they plan to meet with the superstar. I have no idea what’s going to happen with Harper, but if I had to guess at this point I think the Nationals are going to swoop in with a big deal and keep him in Washington for the rest of his career.

Along with Harper, the other big name on the market is of course Manny Machado. The Machado market has been a little more clear than Harper, but that’s mostly because it’s well known that the infielder would like to play for the Yankees. The question is whether or not the Yankees would like to pay Machado like the 26-year-old superstar he is. Along with New York, the only other realistic options seem to be Philadelphia and the White Sox. The latter team is a bit of a surprise, and there have also been whispers that they’ll target Harper. However, Bruce Levine reported on Wednesday that Chicago will not offer a ten-year deal to either like previously reported. It still seems inevitable Machado will end up in pinstripes.