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The Padres made the headlines this week by signing one of the elite players in the game, the third baseman / short goal. Manny Machado, with a guarantee of $ 300 million over 10 years. But it seems that the pickup Machado will be the only massive attack of the Padres freelance this year.
While San Diego has at least considered pursuing the superstar of free agents Bryce Harper, the team's discussions with Constable Scott Boras focused more on left-handed unemployed Dallas Keuchel that Harper, Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic report. Keuchel would be a remarkable addition in himself, but the chances that the needy Padre is naming him are not huge, according to Rosenthal and Lin, who note that it's a "long shot". Jon Heyman from the MLB network, who tweeted Saturday that the Padres "do not see an adjustment" for Keuchel.
If the Padres do not seriously pursue Harper, who could join Machado to secure a guarantee of more than $ 300 million, it seems all the more likely that he will be traveling to Philadelphia. The Phillies – who have just had at least their second face-to-face meeting with Harper – have been seen as favorites to sign him throughout the offseason. Moreover, it does not seem that other teams make an effort to respect the price asked by the All-Star six times.
The Nationals, the only Harper team to date, may have "evolved"; the White Sox, despite their obvious weaknesses in the outfield, would not be ready to bid for Harper; and the Giants, despite their own problems in the field, do not seem willing to give a long-term contract to the former NL player par excellence. Unless there is a change of heart on the part of one of these clubs or the formation of an aggressive mysterious team, Harper to the Phillies still seems to be the most likely conclusion of this long derby.
Unlike Harper, 31-year-old Keuchel has barely made the headlines since the end of last season. Although Keuchel has already achieved excellent results in AL Cy Young, there is no indication that anyone has pursued it with much enthusiasm in recent months. Of course, he and Boras might not have helped the cyclist's cause with an exorbitant starting price in early winter, which would have been six to seven years and would be between $ 25 and $ 30 million. Since the start of the off-season, Keuchel's next deal has always seemed like a solid bet, well below that price, in terms of duration and dollars.
In the end, it is possible that Keuchel returns to Houston, where he has spent his entire professional career since his selection in the seventh round of the 2009 project. The Astros could not only use another proven starter, but the owner Jim Crane has suggested this week that the team had not closed the door for Keuchel's signature.
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