Waiting for a Sign

Waiting for the Phillies to sign Manny Machado or Bryce Harper or both is like being 5 years old and waiting for Santa. It's torture.

The Phils rolled out the red carpet for Machado last week, hosting him and his wife for more than 4 hours at Citizens Bank Park, followed by a dinner in Center City. Team owner John Middleton has vowed to spend stupid amounts of money to improve the team. He might have to get really, really stupid to get Machado, who is widely rumored to prefer playing for the Yankees. It could take more than $350 million to get Machado in red pinstripes, and even that might not be enough if he has his heart set on the Bronx.

Then there's Harper. The Phils met with his agent, the evil Scott Boras, during the Winter Meetings earlier this month. But now it looks like the Dodgers are going to make a serious run after trading outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to the Reds. Harper is from Las Vegas and would have eto be tempted for the extra promotional cash and star power that Hollywood has to offer.

I still think the Phils will end up with Machado. But if they fail to sign either one, it won't be for lack of trying. Like I said, Machado has always dreamed of being a Yankee. And the bright lights of Hollywood might be too hard to resist. People will want to pillory Klentak and Company if they don't get at least one of these guys. But if their hearts are elsewhere, there's no amount of money that will change their minds.

Cutch and Son

New Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen met the media yesterday, accompanied by his young son Steel, and they were wearing matching jerseys.

The 32-year-old outfielder has never had a hitter's park as his home, and he's looking forward to it. "So, yeah, to be here, I definitely think it’s going to be a plus for me and it’s going to help me just do what I’ve always done -- use the opposite side of the field, drive the ball that way and get rewarded for it,” he told Philly.com.

As the roster stands now, I'd like to see McCutchen hitting third, in front of first baseman Rhys Hoskins. This is what I'd like to see:
Quinn CF
Seguara SS
McCutchen RF
Hoskins 1B
Franco 3B
Herrera LF
Alfaro C
Hernandez 2B

Hoskins was also at the event and he said he's doing whatever he can to help recruit free agent Bryce Harper. And speaking of free agents, Manny Machado will be visiting Philadelphia tomorrow to see what the Phils have to offer. Here's hoping Manny likes what the Phillies and Hoskins have to say.

Phils Sign an Outfielder - No, Not That One

The Phillies outfield got better today when the team announced the signing of Andrew McCutchen to a 3-year, $50 million contract.

McCutchen, 32, is a former NL MVP and isn't the player he was 5 years ago. But he's still pretty good. He's a career .287 hitter with a .378 OBP and an OPS of .879. He's hit 20 or more home runs every season since 2011 with at least 65 RBIs every year in that same span. Over the last 2 years, he's slashed .267/.366/.455 last and averaged 30 doubles and 24 home runs.

And he plays every day. He averages 155 games per season, compared to free agent Bryce Harper, who has averaged 132 games per season for his career. And since Harper joined the Nationals in 2012, his career WAR is 27.2. McCutchen's WAR during that time is 30.4.

And McCutchen is a great human being. He was beloved in Pittsburgh during his time with the Pirates and gives the Phils veteran leadership in the clubhouse. He's a mensch. They got a great person when they signed him.

McCutchen is now the Phillies best outfielder. Look for the 5-time all-star to play right field, with Roman Quinn in center and Odubel Herrera or Nick Williams in left. I'm thinking this takes the Phils out of the running for Harper, but Manny Machado is still a target. And it leaves other intriguing options.

They could offer the Marlins a combination of Herrera/Williams, front-line pitching prospect Adonis Medina, and Jorge Alfaro for catcher JT Realmuto, who desperately wants out of Miami. Maybe even add outfield prospect Adam Haseley to sweeten the deal.

Or, they could package Herrera/Williams, Sixto Sanchez, Medina, Haseley, and top infield prospect Luis Garcia to the Angels for Philadelphia Eagles superfan Mike Trout. I'd take Trout over Harper every single day of the week.

At first, I was kind of "meh" about the McCutchen deal. But the more I think about it, the more I like it. He's what they wanted Carlos Santana to be, but with better numbers. And he's a solid citizen. He'll be an instant leader on this young club and improves the lineup.

Speaking of lineups, how does this look?
Quinn CF
Seguara SS
McCutchen RF
Hoskins 1B
Franco 3B
Alfaro C
Herrera LF
Hernandez 2B

New logo

With very little fanfare, it looks like the Phillies have unveiled a new primary logo.

🚨👀 #Phillies new logo 👀🚨 Men’s and ladies tees featuring the new Phils’ primary logo available today, only at the ballpark. You likey? pic.twitter.com/UrCoAjY93K

— @PhilliesMCS (@PhilliesMCS) December 7, 2018

Gone is the diamond outline. It’s been replaced by the team name atop a darker blue Liberty Bell. I can’t find any official comment from the team just yet. What do you think?

Deal Done

Well done, Matt Klentak.

The Phillies GM drastically improved the team's offense and defense with one blockbuster trade, sending expensive-but-meh first baseman Carlos Santana and former top prospect JP Crawford to the Seattle Mariners for two-time All-Star Jean Segura and pitchers Juan Nicasio and James Pazos.

Seguara is an instant upgrade at short, both at the plate and in the field. Check this out:

Among shortstops from 2016-18, Jean Segura ranks...

-1st in AVG (.308)
-4th in OBP (.353)
-11th in SLG (.449)
-4th in OPS+ (115)

Signed through 2022 with a club option in 2023

— The Good Phight (@TheGoodPhight) December 3, 2018

Defensively, he's a big upgrade from Scott Kingery, who was playing short full-time for the first-time in his career. The Phils unload the unproductive and highly paid Santana and the disappointing Crawford.

It also moves Rhys Hoskins back to first base from left field. The young slugger moved to the outfield when Santana was signed, but he wasn't very good. He tried his best, but he looked like a first baseman trying to play the outfield. The move back to first should lessen his stress and I look for even more offense from Hoskins in 2019.

Was just watching MLB Tonight and analyst John Smoltz says this trade is a win for Seattle. Huh? The Phillies get better defensively at two positions and much better offensively at one.

I keep waiting for the other cleat to drop. But then I remember Ruben Amaro had nothing to do with this deal. He's busy with the Mets. I know it's a salary dump on Seattle's part, but man oh man, it seems like the Klentak and Co. fleeced the Mariners. What a great move.