The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly found that the asking price for Manny Machado is steeper than they are comfortable paying, but that does not mean they are giving up on acquiring the star shortstop.
Jon Heyman of Fancred reported on Tuesday that Machado remains the “top target” for the Phillies as the trade deadline approaches, though they are also formulating a Plan B.
machado is still the top target for Phillies (they had a scout with o's last night) but they are targeting other infielders as backup plans
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 10, 2018
The report we heard on Monday about the Phillies dropping out of the Machado sweepstakes was almost certainly a negotiating ploy. It’s entirely possible that there are no teams willing to meet Baltimore’s asking price for a player who could end up being a two-month rental, and the Orioles will have to to ease up with their demands if that is the case.
A new team is said to have entered the mix for Machado late Monday night, and there are still a handful of teams that want the 26-year-old All-Star. It would be a surprise if the Phillies were no longer among them.
