Southside Showdown contributor Joseph Bermudez has an interesting perspective on predicting where Harper and Machado ultimately land this offseason. While Roger predicted Harper signing with the Dodgers, Joseph is leaning towards the Phillies as fit for the free agent outfielder.
"“1) The Phillies need a right fielder 2) Andrew Mccutchen and Harper make a nice veteran presence for a young Phils team 3) the Phillies can afford to break the bank on Harper [and going into a bidding war against the Dodgers, they will have to] 4) Phily is only two and half hours away from DC, so the move is not too drastic [unless a drastic move is what he is looking for]. The Phillies are defiantly playoff contenders with Harper. With some minor tweaking and player development, Harper may find a nice home in Philadelphia.” Joseph Bermudez"
For Machado, Joseph has the same prediction as Roger with the Sox. Joseph predicts the Sox would be a better fit for Machado long-term as he would fit in nicely as his signing would create a significant buzz in Chicago.
Joseph’s contract predictions listed below:
Bryce Harper-Phillies, 5-7 year contract, $250 million-$290 million
Manny Machado-White Sox, 4-6 year contract, $180 million-$230 million