Phillies about to Acquire JT Realmuto

[thegodfather]

IF they sign Harper and Machado this is your 2019 lineup:

Cesar
Hoskins
Harper
Machado
JTR
McCutcheon
Odubel
Segura

Time for Klentak to lock all doors and windows and bring this plane in for a landing!!!

Get Machado and forget Harper, you still have Williams and Quinn, plus you can trade for another OF when you get rid of Franco. less than 2 years Trout will be hear bank on it.

[J_Cuz31]

Harper will be a Phillie.

The Phillies’ offer has been collecting dust on the shelf for a month, why?

[06hawkalum]

The Phillies’ offer has been collecting dust on the shelf for a month, why?

Why? Because Scott Boras is trying to milk them for more by creating the illusion that there is competition for his services.

[SOS Crunchy]

I really think Boras/Lozano and the Phillies are playing a big game here, there's no way Harper leaves hundreds of millions of dollars on the table to get a 2-3 year deal on a west coast team.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/stor...-machado-chase

The above article is a pretty interesting read. If you don't have ESPN Insider, below are some of the highlights:

Agents and executives not involved believe the Phillies are in a position of strength. “If you’re the Phillies and you don’t believe you have [serious] competition for both of them, you’re just sitting and waiting,” said one agent. “Even if one of them signs [with another team], the other guy probably needs you, at your number.”

* Some of the executives and agents not involved in the talks also wonder about whether the public entrant of a supposed bidder could be read by the Phillies and White Sox and any other team serious involved as a sign of weakness, rather than strength. In recent days, public reports have linked Harper and Machado to the San Diego Padres, a franchise that doesn’t seem close to contention; Harper met with the Padres. “If I’m in [Boras’] position, I’m working like crazy to make sure that doesn’t [leak] out,” said one club official, “because it smells desperate. It makes it seem like you don’t have as much as you thought you would.”

[The Duck]

I really think Boras/Lozano and the Phillies are playing a big game here, there's no way Harper leaves hundreds of millions of dollars on the table to get a 2-3 year deal on a west coast team.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/stor...-machado-chase

The above article is a pretty interesting read. If you don't have ESPN Insider, below are some of the highlights:

Agents and executives not involved believe the Phillies are in a position of strength. “If you’re the Phillies and you don’t believe you have [serious] competition for both of them, you’re just sitting and waiting,” said one agent. “Even if one of them signs [with another team], the other guy probably needs you, at your number.”

* Some of the executives and agents not involved in the talks also wonder about whether the public entrant of a supposed bidder could be read by the Phillies and White Sox and any other team serious involved as a sign of weakness, rather than strength. In recent days, public reports have linked Harper and Machado to the San Diego Padres, a franchise that doesn’t seem close to contention; Harper met with the Padres. “If I’m in [Boras’] position, I’m working like crazy to make sure that doesn’t [leak] out,” said one club official, “because it smells desperate. It makes it seem like you don’t have as much as you thought you would.”

That all makes more sense. That's why I put sneer quotes around "reports". Obviously, the market isn't what they expected them to be and Boras is in a position where he needs to save face. But so's Klentak, and Boras is going to try to squeeze every drop out of him.

I just hope it's over soon. This is beyond tiresome. And missing ST is no way to start a rebound season with a new club (and massive expectations) for Harper.