The San Diego Padres have been keeping tabs on superstar free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, and reports are still indicating that their interest is serious.
The expectation remains that the Philadelphia Phillies will sign one of Harper or Machado, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Padres are pursuing Machado more aggressively than Philly. However, there is a difference between making aggressive pitches to a free agent and offering the most money. If the Phillies decide they want Machado, they have to financial means to outbid San Diego.
Harper seems likely to sign a bigger deal than Machado, so that might make Machado more of a realistic option for the Padres. However, there’s reason to believe they prefer Machado and may have a leg up on some other teams. There are also more teams in on Harper than Machado, so there are different reasons to envision San Diego signing either superstar. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
