Having spent more than half a billion dollars combined on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, you might think the Phillies and Padres should be in playoff position and Harper and Machado would be All-Stars. Neither is the case three-quarters through their first seasons with their new teams. Harper is making less contact than ever before in his career and Machado leads the National League in one category: grounding into double plays.
But don’t call these guys busts. For $630 million, Philadelphia and San Diego are getting production from Harper and Machado that is only slightly below their career norms.