The Phillies are preparing to make a run at free agent third baseman Anthony Rendon, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. He’s now the team’s top priority, per the report.
If there was any doubt as to the Phillies’ all-in intentions after they inked Zack Wheeler, this would seem to resolve it. The organization had spoken of its disinclination to part with draft compensation to land free agents. But having done so for Wheeler, adding another qualifying offer-declining free agent would actually cost less in draft capital.
Should the sides end up seeing eye to eye on a contract, Rendon would be following Bryce Harper in a dramatic trip north on I-95. It’s not difficult to see the match on paper. Rendon is an exceptional all-around player who’d fill the void at the hot corner for the Phils. The team grew tired of waiting for Maikel Franco to establish himself there and isn’t inclined to sit on its hands until top prospect Alec Bohm is ready.
Plenty of other teams (the incumbent Nationals among them) would likewise love to slot Rendon in at third base. He’s being courted by a variety of organizations. Rumors persist that Rendon would be interested in a somewhat shorter, higher-AAV contract — the precise opposite of the angle Harper took. Whether that sort of arrangement would suit the Philadelphia club’s needs isn’t known.
What is clear is that the involvement of the Phillies only serves to buttress Rendon’s market. Entering the winter, we predicted a $235MM guarantee over seven years. It seems that Rendon does indeed have that kind of earning power, even if he ultimately elects to take a shorter contract with greater single-season salaries.
Well, it is Bob Nightengale.. so the Phillies will up Todd Frazier by monday morning
Can someone pleeeease explain to me why the Phillies are so stupid? I’m not speaking specifically about this situation. I just mean in general… Why are the Phillies so stupid?
LOL
Rubén Amaro Jr. redux!
Amaro signed guys in their late 30s. Not young players who are actually good
Amaro’s spending stuck the Phillies in payroll limbo. They never won anything.
In retrospect it appears that it was at the direction of ownership, and that it’s happening again. The “rebuild” was a massive failure, and their actions for the 2nd straight off-season are that of desperate, delusional people.
Buying free agents doesn’t win championships when there is no core.
Rendon is a core talent.
Doesn’t make any difference whether you draft/sign, trade for or sign a free agent that is a core guy.
The Phillies have to get Gerrit Cole also. Zack Wheeler is a #4 starter.
How many weeks have you been following MLB?
Core players are a group that has come up and played together for a period of time. Think the Yankees with Jeter, Pettite, Mariano, Bernie, Posada, etc. They are tight, understand the philosophy of the FO, manager, and coaching staff. Have been through difficulties together and bested them.
The Phillies have no core. They’re a bunch of guys thrown together from other teams that could no longer justify paying their salaries; mixed together with 3-5 young players that are still getting traction as MLB players.
Rendon is a core player on the Nationals. He’ll be going back there.
@ cobra – it does matter. Part of the role of a “core” is that it gives you a sizeable chunk of the roster with a salary at an affordable rate for 5-6 years. That’s why the idea of core (several guys) rather than a talent (single guy).
If you have at market rate 5 SP (say 95m for varying talents), 3 RP (say 25m), 8 startinf position players (say 135m) then the rest of lesser relievers and utility/bench guys from your failed rebuild, by the time you add in minor league payroll and benefits you’ve got a 325m/yr ballclub.
With penalties in the succeeding years, there’s maybe, MAYBE 4 teams that could possibly pay that… if they cannibalized other areas of scouting/development/etc.
The Yankees thumped the Phillies in 2009. Did they draft A-Rod? Godzilla?
The Phillies were a home grown core and they lost even though Utley went yard five times.
The payroll tax line is going to go up a lot next time or there isn’t going to be any baseball for a year and a half.
No but they had Jeter, Cano, Rivera, Gardner, Posada, Pettitte, Hughes, Cabrera, etc. No team will ever be completely homegrown, but you build a core that can be supplemented through trades and free agency, you don’t reverse engineer a core because of a failure to develop your own prospects. There isn’t an NFL, NBA, or MLB team out there who has won a title without 1-2 key homegrown pieces.
How many damn times you going to beat this dead horse??? Why dont you just stop and shut up!
You are an idiot
The issue was with Amaro spending, at the time you were losing first round picks for type A free agents like Ibanez, Papelbon, etc. and the Phillies didn’t replenish their farm system. On top of missing out and drafting poor in the first 2 rounds of the draft, Aaron Nola has been their only productive 1st round pick (at the major league level) since they drafted Cole Hamels in 2000. Spending is okay (especially for a large market team that can spend like the Phillies), as long as you’re bringing in talent through the draft/international signing, which is Phillies didn’t do.
But if you don’t have that — and the Phillies don’t — then you either keep waiting and hoping you get it or you buy the pieces you need if you can afford it. The Phillies can afford it. They were the second most profitable team in MLB last year.
They still have to work it from the other side (draft and develop more/better players) but you can do both if you’re a big market team. Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers have all done it. They compete every year.
When you have no core, you make one. Harper, Realmuto, Kingerey, Nola, Wheeler, Segura, Cutch, Hoskins…this is the new core. It’s solid. Add Rendon and it’s real good.
@Samuel, I agree with your statement to an extent. The Giants would never have won the rings they had without those core players that played together throughout the minors. Although adding at the dead line is very important.
The Miami Heat surely bought 2 championships.
Johnny Damon
Hideki Matsui (Godzilla) – Murdered the Phillies!
Alex Rodriguez
Nick Swisher
Mark Teixeira
CC Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Bret Gardner’s OPS was ZERO
Cano: .267
Cabrera .308
Those are their OPS not batting averages.
Look it up.
2009 Yankees had their “Core 4” of Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera were the 2009 AND Matsui and Rodriguez.
So yeah, the 2009 Yankees’ superior combination of better core players *and* better free agents beat the Phillies.
If you’re using that argument you can call Hoskins, Kingeret and Nola the core 3 for the Phillies.
@Melvino buying a championship is much different in the NBA than it is in MLB. You’re comparing apples to oranges.
@Michael Chaney. I agree. I was responding to Brian Sans
You ate high on the smell of your own stank kid,
lol well done
If it’s solid, why’d they finish next-to-last in the division?
Bohmshell report!
Bohm is a first baseman.
He is qualified as both.
How many 3B are the size of Kris Bryant?
Bohm won’t be the second.
Latest scouting report at MLB pipeline said the Phillies are intent to keep him at 3B. If he doesn’t stick at 3B it won’t be because of his size. It will be because they sign someone outside the organization, unless he’s traded.
He’s not a great fielder. I see Bohm as 1B/DH type (which will likely be in the NL by the team he comes up). That being said MLB pipeline consists of many people much more intelligent than myself. So don’t take my word for it.
just get another starter and someone to play one of 2B/3B/SS and we will be happy.
Rendon plays 3B. =)
Sign Rendon and trade Bohm for a starter. Or trade Hoskins and put Bohm at 1B.
Oh no please don’t trade Hoskins.
Why not? I like him and all, but so far since his torrid debut, he seems pretty average. In fact, has gotten worse over the past two seasons. I hope he can turn it around, he’s a super like-able guy, but I don’t think he’s proved himself untouchable or anything. I know he’s young and comes with a lot of control, but the Phillies are I’m full on win now mode. If they think they can upgrade over him, I’m sure they’re consider it.
PP, I couldn’t agree with you more..I suggested that very same thing a week ago and got attacked..
I’m hoping the new hitting coach gets him out of trying to pull everything..that, and the stupid launch angle thingy
Hoskins shouldn’t be untouchable but considering his production last year, moving him now would be selling low. Since the start of 2018, Rhys Hoskins has hit more fly balls than any hitter in baseball and has the 4th highest launch angle i.e. if he isn’t hitting a home run, he’s most likely producing easy outs. I think giving him a half year with a new manager and hitting coach helping him may be what he needs. I think Bohm will be the better long term player but if there’s a way they can keep both and fix Rhys’ approach/swing I think that would benefit the Phillies more than anything they could get back in a trade (at least right now anyway)
Wish I had a crystal ball to see if Hos can figure things out..
this rumor is a surprise to me..I didn’t think they would go that big..in fact, I was hoping for Josh D.
Also, I’d prefer another starter (MadBum)…
Save some cash for next year..Jake comes off the books
If it is true that Kluber looks to have regained his form, would a trade centered around him, Bohm, and Howard work? I’m not well versed on the Phillies’ needs so I don’t know what else might be required TBH. Maybe Kluber and $5M would get it done. Naturally this depends on the Rendon signing.
CLE would listen to an offer for Kluber if it included at least one ML-ready talent
As an Indians fan, plan A is keeping Kluber. But if the Phillies offered Bohm (plus more), I’d take it if I were them.
33 years old and heading in the wrong direction..5.80 era last year over 7 games..if it’;s me, I would have no interest
Based on a minute sample size? He got off to a slow start because they deliberately held him back in ST. He didn’t pitch until the last week of ST and he’s a notoriously slow starter anyway and the broken arm kept him from rounding into form. I won’t be upset at all if they keep him and he has a few very good years remaining. The commitment would before the next 2 seasons and he sure as hell will out pitch the majority of Phillies’ current staff.
I’d trade for Lindor – after Rendon is signed – but no Kluber.
Kluber is well on the other side.
Need Gerrit Cole.
That’s a lot of money right there.. lol
You’ve already proven your lack of knowledge about baseball. I don’t think anyone cares what you would do
OK, but I don’t think you have the equity to make a trade for Lindor. Neither Bohm or Howard have played above AA. Outside of that, what can you offer. We don’t need Hoskins. Kingery and Segura are nice players, but an extreme drop off at SS for a contending team. We don’t need SP or OF help. You just aren’t a good match for a Lindor trade. Sorry.
Bohm and Haseley for Boyd and Goodrum should do.
That would be amazing for the Tigers and terrible for the Phillies
Try Hoskins in left field!
They did that. It wasn’t pretty.
So they want to double down on last years wager.
How about.. go get rendon, cole, stras and ozuna!!!! And then you can be way over the luxury tax!
…and still miss the playoffs.
Now don’t be salty. You guys will still get him, but in case you don’t this is just meant to drive up his price for Washington.
tbh i think i’d rather the rangers go get donaldson, but I also like the mets, so thats why I was being salty lol.
Phillies don’t need Ozuna.
they need jesus
Jayson Werth already played for them
And Buddha and his grandma!
It’s ok as long as we get Donaldson and another second tier starter. That way Jung and/or Wendzel aren’t block at 3rd when they’re ready.
Maybe if they could develop any young talent they wouldn’t need to go throwing around cancer merchant’s money so hard.
“cancer merchant?” please elaborate
Phils owner (Middleton) made his money in tobacco
I’m guessing it’s how the owner made his billions?
Big cigar guy
Middleton made 2.9 billion selling his families cigarette/cigar company to Phillip Morris
At least he sold it
Middleton’s family business was Consolidated Cigar Company. He sold it to Altria for over 3 billion.
Then Phillies sign Cole but miss the playoffs again
No they won’t. They’ll have what they need to advance too.
4th place phillies, even after signing everybody.
Gerrit Cole, Rendon and Wheeler. That=playoffs and advancing in the postseason.
In other news, the team is considering changing their name to the Philadelphia Nationals…
would be a great sign by the Phillies, hope they get him…
If they signed rendon, how many phillies players would have spent time as a national, or in the national’s org?
3
That’s quite a (t)Rendon ex-Nats
Phils acting like the ’80’s Yankees. Buy ’em all, never have enough.
Steinbrenner won seven WS in 30 years.
The Phillies have two in a hundred thirty years.
Pinstripes must make that wallet feel phat
Put an effing salary cap in baseball! This is absurd!
Or force small market owners to invest their revenue-sharing funds back into the team. That money’s distributed to increase parity around the league, it’s not supposed to be owner welfare.
It’s not your money, who cares? Teams like Tampa and Oakland CAN pay more, they choose not to.
The Pirates could sign both Cole and Rendon with no problem.
Nutting just chooses to put that money in his bank account every year.
I’d love to see Philly just go nuts and push a $300MM payroll for 2020. Just for the fun of it
That’s pretty much what the Red Sox did when you add in the salaries of Panda Rusney Castillo and that Cardinals guy playing with Castillo in triple-A.
If those counted towards the payroll, sure.
They paid the money on top of their payroll and the tax on their payroll.
That counts.
I mean if you’re doing this……
1 year of realmuto sighing Harper Wheeler and now Rendon
You need to start depleting the farm to secure outside help for the rotation and pen.
Maybe Alec Bohm Howard stott Medina de Los Santos and moniak for degrom and Phillies take back a bad contract from the mets.
Just sign Gerrit Cole.
Spencer Howard can work out of the pen. He’s one of the few big arms they have and his stuff doesn’t last deep into games.
Brought to us by Rendon’s “super agent”. Got to keep that bidding going after the Nationals announced they can not sign both Rendon and Strasburg. Next week we will see 2-3 more teams in on the mix, then when a deal is close, a mystery team will be announced to get a few more million out of the Phillies. Contract signed….next on to Cole and repeat. Strasburg next and repeat. Same story going on for for years. It’s about to get interesting and very expensive for some owners. End result is very expensive for us fans to go to a game. That’s a different argument though.
Player salaries have little impact on ticket prices. A hot dog costs the same in Tampa bay as it does in Los Angeles.
Offer up 5/200 and then bring in Alex Wood or Rick Porcello for 10mil to be the 5th starter and that would be a pretty incredible off-season Part II. Seems like a lot of people despise the Phillies for throwing a lot of money around. Don’t be mad that people in the Philly/South Jersey area actually go to games and buy merchandise that supports our team. Oh and that Comcast deal helps a little too.
Lmao 40mil a year? He’s not worth that. Maybe 21-25mil aav
On a short-term deal he is, which he apparently wants. Maybe 4/$160 though
Rendon is going to get AT LEAST 30mil per. It’s been reported he doesnt want a 6 or 7 year deal and I think it would take 40 mil to get him to leave the Nationals for a divisional rival.
I think 4 years $150 million or 5 year $175 million should be the ceiling. I did not think he would get close to that but the market appears to be heading that way. We don’t know until he is signed though. Just rumours at this point. Does appear that he is taking his “super agents” lead and following the money.
You know he has already turned down 30 mil a year right? Are we talking about Rendon or someone else here??
Yes he turned down 7 years $210-$215 million prior to season end. That’s the only reported offer so far.
Yes I read that but here’s the real question, how much of that was deferred? The Nationals are notorious for that and from what I’ve read about Rendon, he views the game as a business instead of a “passion”. While I think Harper did more for WSH in terms of getting eyes on their team and butts in the seats. Rendon (and Soto) was the face of that team in 2019 and was the big name leading that offense to the WS. He has the right to desire more than what Harper wanted but due to age he won’t get it. I find it hard that if he was offered 7/215 with no deferrals that he wouldn’t have taken it by now. While some guys will go for the deferred money, others won’t (like Harper and probably Rendon).
He already turned down a 7yr210m deal last year from the Nats. His floor is 30m.
But we don’t know how much is deferred.
In what world is Rendon not worth 40m a year on a short term deal?
If the Phillies would include Alex Bohm in a deal with the Royals for Whit Merrifield, I would want KC to consider it seriously.
If they were to sign Rendon, I think Bohm goes in a deal to acquire an arm
They have nearly half a billion dollars invested in Wheeler and Harper can they really afford him to another 300mil dollar deal? They’d be like 100mil over the threshold tax.
Yes, yes they can.
They can afford Gerrit Cole too.
Cubs like this report. if Phillies does not end with Rendón or Donaldson they could enter the exchange market for Bryant.
Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard trade Kris Bryant
Fair for both sides. And would unite Harper with his buddy
Klentak hangs up the phone
Bohm & Howard aren’t going anywhere. After trading Sixto Sanchez and being so thin on starting pitching the last thing the Phils are going to do is deal their only pitching prospect that has legitimate ace potential. Same with Bohm, the Phillies have received the worst fWAR from 3B in baseball since they traded Scott Rolen almost 20 years ago.
IF the Phillies ended up with Rendon, they’d probably keep him at 3B and when Bohm is ready they would either:
A. Covert Bohm to 1B and move Hoskins (who they would hope would’ve regained his trade value) for pitching
B. Call up Bohm and move Rendon to 2B and eat some of Segura’s salary to open the position.
As a nats fan, this would hurt much more than Harper did.
Curious, if the Nats dont resign Rendon who’s playing third? Or they going after Donaldson?
Donaldson.
The Nats don’t have a TV deal. After winning the trophy this was an inevitable outcome.
Nats owner implies they may not push for both.
Next day Phillies are apparently all in.
Obvious ploy is obvious
How do they have the money for these contracts?
Most teams do, they just pretend they don’t.
Revenue sharing alone covers the Marlins payroll- or at least did at some point in the last few years
They bring in almost 30,000 fans per game, sell more merchandise than any other team besides the Yankees and Dodgers and have one of the best TV contracts in sports. Plus they have an owner who actually cares about winning, not pocketing profits.
And the luxury tax sounds like a lot to us. But to billionaires, it’s an excuse to keep more money as revenue.
you mean “an excuse to keep more revenue as profits.”
Ah, you get my point.
The joker is running wild. What are you doing commenting here? Gotham needs you.
Winter meetings are about to start. Gotham can suck it for the next week.
Fourth largest market, only one team.
Largest 1 team market, billionaire owner with at the time the richest TV deal for a baseball team kicking in. I actually applaud him instead of pocketing money like a fair share of the other owners. In the present day with so much service time manipulation, suppression of player salaries, etc. it’s refreshing seeing teams having to dole out money like that. I know professional athletes aren’t charity cases but I don’t get how fans can take the side of billionaire owners over millionaire employees. Outside of the rooting interest of your team it makes no sense to me.
Because they are in one of the biggest sports markets, have a lucrative TV deal, and their owner has deep pockets.
NL East mopping up all the top FAs as usual.
ChiSoxCity, it’s a tough division..The Bravos are the better team followed by the Nats..Philly and the Mets are close to even..If either the Mets or Phils get the players they seek, it could be a legit 4 team race
Being called the NL Least for so many years finally made an impact.
Keeping Up with the Joneses: NL East Version.
I don’t understand why everyone here is hating on the Phils. At least they are trying. They signed Harper, they want Rendon now. Even if they don’t get him they are trying to win.
There’s no trying in baseball.
Troll master flex..u sound like one of the Phillies banged ur girl.
Man..Rendon on the Phillies with maybe a full year of Cutch and Rendon protecting Harper, or the other way around and this could be a really dynamic line up.
Right, Rendon and Harper were gangbusters in the same lineup before and guaranteed a title…
They did make the playoffs
If they get Rendon, DC is going to lose its mind. Wheeler and Nola is a formidable 1-2, and they have an actual manager now. Jean segura is going to have a monster season out of the 1 or 2 spot with all that thump behind him.
I still think A. Rendon goes back to Washington..As good as he is, I’d rather the Phils go get another starter along with Didi G……Kingery can scoot over to 3rd and Segura can play 2nd.. Then they have to decide if they play or part ways with Goofy Odubel…
I agree with your sentiments but except for 2 points. 1. I don’t think Rendon ends back with WSH, reading through various articles, Rendon is a little “different” than most guys, apparently he views baseball as a job not as what some guys would call a “passion”. Rendon will end up with the team who offers him the most money and while I feel Harper did more for that franchise in terms of getting eyes on the product and butts in the door, Rendon was the face of that offense leading them to the WS. He won’t go for all the deferred money WSH will offer. It’ll probably be Texas or the Phillies with the Dodgers lurking in the shadows. 2. The Phillies with the non-tender of Cesar & Franco have had a number of chances to finally say Kingery is our ___. But they’ve refused to do that; while that would hurt their bargaining power by defining their market needs, the Phillies seem to be in love with using Kingery in a super UTIL role. But with question marks at 2B/SS/3B/CF, they want to cover as many bases as possible by having Kingery stay in that UT role. As long as they don’t trade Bohm, I’m fine with what they do. Having seen Bohm in person and having seen Kris Bryant when he was in the minors, the resemblance is scary good. I’m not saying he will be the level Kris Bryant is, but the Phillies haven’t had a competent 3B since Feliz/Polanco and haven’t had an extraordinary 3B since Rolen. If Bohm only turns out to be 1/2 the player Bryant is, he’ll still be the best thing they’ve had there in almost 20 years.
Something tells me you’re a Phillies fan. Can’t quite pinpoint it
What gave it away that I’m a Phils fan, lol? Regardless of whether the Phillies sign Rendon, there’s no denying that they can’t keep throwing money at everyone. The issue is if you compare them to the Braves or the Nationals, both of those teams excelled in drafting talent (Harper, Strasburg, Rendon, Giolitio, Freeman, Riley, Wright, etc.), signing international FA’s (Soto, Acuna, Albies), & restocking through trades (Eaton, Turner, Inciarte, Swanson, etc.)
The one thing the Phillies can do over both those teams is spend more if they need to. But the lack of success in restocking the farm has lead to a dearth of young players coming in. So, really the only way they can improve quickly is to spend on the market. If you look at their opening day lineup from last year, they have 3 starters who aren’t with the team anymore or most likely won’t be (2B/3B/CF), they’re talking about moving their opening day SS to a different position or trading him and their LF is coming of an ACL surgery going into his mid-30’s.
And even those 3 positions that are at least solidified right now (C/1B/RF), one guy is under contract for another 12 years, one guy is a FA next winter and is up for a $20+M/year contract extension, and the other is a 1B whose going to enter arbitration soon with Boras as his agent, so the Phillies need some cost control in that lineup. And trading from a barren farm system will only compound the matter. At least they have a payroll big enough that if they need to move guys, they can eat money.
Wow, someone finally wanting to stick with Bohm! You are spot on, and another reason they NEED Bohm to come up at some point soon is because they need an every day contributor on a rookie pay scale. They can’t keep throwing tons of money at every position. This isn’t a video game.
I think signing Didi, while not a horrible move, still leaves a hole at third. Neither Kingery or Segura are ideal for 3B. Kingery is a natural at 2nd. Segura is adequate at SS. Give the Nationals a black eye, and Sign the big gun for the next five years or so of competitive baseball in Philly,
I hope they keep paying a small fortune to all these guys. Just silly. Throw all your money at your problems and hope they fix themselves. Nothing scares you about this team if they have Harper (especially with his current performance) Rendon, and Wheeler. Between just the 3 of them, you would lock up like $600 million. THATS INSANE! It’s hard to believe those 3 players would bring back those returns themselves especially because I don’t see them any better of a contender than the Nats were a few years ago with a better team ..
As a Phillies fan, I hope they get it done. This is EXACTLY the move they need to make. Forget the half measures, this would be a huge upgrade defensively and create a lineup that can compete with the powerhouse teams in both leagues.
Sure, it would be better if they could have grown more of their own talent organically, but the fact is, there is now a core in place approaching its prime years. Time to add the pieces if you’re serious about competing at the highest level.
Ah, the smell of De$peration Phillie$.
Throw a bunch of money at someone, that’ll fix everything. What about pitching? Throw money at all the free agents! What’s a luxury tax?
This will hold teams like the Reds up, and look to next years free agent pool. This absolutely blows. You want to fix this game? Put a cap on how much money a team can spend in free agency depending upon their record the previous year…Harper last year, Wheeler this year and potentially Rendon?! Somewhere Huizenga loves this…complete BS. And while I’m at it “the competitive balance in baseball, is better than it ever has been” -KMA Bud Selig
lol that is absolutely absurd. Your record the previous season will never and should never determine how you are permitted to spend in free agency, and limiting teams prevents improvement. It isn’t the Phillies’ fault that other teams won’t spend money, why should they be penalized for doing it?
You want to promote balance and competition? Have a salary floor like the NHL. Force owners that operate like small businesses to operate like the multi-billion dollar entities that they are. Not a single one of these owners or ownership groups is broke, they’re all among the richest people in the world and choose to hold onto their money to say they own a baseball team that hasn’t finished aboce .500 in decades.
A salary floor makes much more sense than trying to prevent teams from improving because they were bad in the past. Shut up with that stupidity.
The owner of the Nats, who said they can’t afford both Rendon & Strasburg; they’re (Lerner family) are worth nearly twice as much as the Phillies owner (John Middleton), but that’s not stopping him from investing. The free agent market is supposed to be an auction, the highest bidder wins (usually). Every team can swim at the deep end of the pool although depending on your market, that’ll depend how long you can swim there. Agreed, a cap isn’t necessary, a salary floor to make the winter market more competitive is what’s needed. While revenue sharing helps, it’s a welfare system that’s abused by billionaires. The only time the rich are in favor of socialism is when it benefits their bottom line lol
So the Phillies are going to try again this year to spend obscene amounts of cash to move up in the standings. Carry on.
Just call them the Philadelphia Nationals.
Could you imagine if the Phillies come away with Harper, Rendon and Strasburg in the span of 9 months? That would be catastrophic for the Nationals, but hey, they won the World Series so they probably wouldn’t be too angry.
Washington has already said they can’t afford both Rendon and Strasburg, so it’s really a matter of who they think is the bigger priority and part of the future and my money is on Rendon being that guy based on age and lack of injury history. My gut has Strasburg either joins Harper in Philly or goes home and the Nats keep Rendon, but realistically the Nationals won at the end of their window to do so and this is going to be the start of a rebuild. No reason why Rendon wouldn’t go to Philly or anywhere else for that matter.
I honestly kind of hope the Yankees land him so they can trade Andujar-plus for pitching, especially if they’re going to let Didi walk and create a hole on the infield, but I know Cashman sees the writing on the wall and is all-in on Cole.
Trading for Bryant makes more sense.same production better defender can play outfield as well younger two years control and will cost over 10 mill less which can be used for pitching… it won’t cost multiple top prospects just one and maybe some lower level prospect.. cubs know Bryant won’t resign with them still mad over the messing around to gain extra control
Main issue is that the Phillies on have 2 “elite” prospects (Bohm & Howard) and both are in areas of need and have been off-limits in any talks (Howard was off limits last year, the marlins asked for Howard in the Realmuto deal but the Phils offered Sanchez instead). Tbh, can only see the Phillies moving one of those guys in a deal for a young, cheap top of the rotation arm (Glasnow/Snell, Giolito, Berrios, etc.) the Phillies lack of drafting impact players high in the draft (outside of those two and Nola) have hurt them since Amaro was the GM.
What makes you think the Cubs would trade Kris Bryant, first of all? He’s under control through 2021 and the Cubs still have designs on winning again in the next two years.
If anything, I could see the Cubbies packaging him and Rizzo for multiple elite prospects either next winter or at the 2021 deadline to kick off a full-blown rebuild when both will be pending free agents and unlikely to both stay on the north side, whether it’s because the Cubs can’t afford both or because they’re simply outbid by a team like the Yankees, Boston or Dodgers.
Either way, there is almost zero chance the Cubs move Bryant now, especially with David Ross taking the reigns next year. He needs guys who are proven and can be relied upon as a first-year manager, and even then his window to win (and thus keep his job) is probably the next two seasons. I doubt he’s fired after 2021 if they’re going to rebuild, but if he proves himself as a manager I doubt equally that he’d want to sit through five years of losing.