It is now Bryce Harper or bust time for the Phillies. They will not fulfill the ultimate free agency pipe dream and sign both Harper and Manny Machado. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Machado will join the Padres with a 10-year, $300 million deal. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that there will be an opt-out after the fifth year. It is the biggest free agent deal in American sports history.
The Padres entered the market late for Machado. The Phils, White Sox, and Yankees all fielded meetings with Machado in December; San Diego came into play once the year turned.