Report: Phillies increase offer for Machado
The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be making a hard push for the trade deadline's biggest target.
Philadelphia's front office has increased its offer for Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Even with the Phillies' improved offer, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees remain favorites in the Machado sweepstakes, with the Milwaukee Brewers fading and the Arizona Diamondbacks on the periphery, Rosenthal adds.
It appeared last week that the Phillies were moving on from Machado because of the Orioles' asking price, but now sitting atop the National League East, and the Atlanta Braves hot on their tails for the division lead, the need for an impact player has increased.
Related: Phillies reportedly moving on from Machado due to Orioles' asking price
Despite possessing two burgeoning infield stars in J.P Crawford and Scott Kingery, Machado would give the Phillies a major upgrade over the two youngsters.
| PLAYER | PA | H | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.P. Crawford* | 112 | 18 | 2 | 8 | .645 | -0.1 |
| Scott Kingery | 329 | 71 | 4 | 26 | .617 | 0.1 |
| Manny Machado | 403 | 113 | 23 | 64 | .957 | 3.6 |
*on 10-day DL with fractured left hand
The 26-year-old Machado is eligible for free agency at season's end and will presumably cost quite a bit to acquire, but the Phillies aren't interested in trading top prospect Sixto Sanchez to make a deal, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports.