MLB
Phillies are Pursuing Manny Machado: Why it would be Perfect
It has been recently been reported that the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to trade for Orioles shortstop Manny Machado. I have thought for a while that the Phillies would be perfect for Machado. The Phillies are already a contender, but with Manny Machado, they would be an elite threat. Today I will be going over how this will affect the Phillies and the N.L. playoff situation.
The Lineup
The Phillies current starting shortstop is J.P. Crawford. He is okay at best. Machado would obviously become the new starter. This would make an already good Philly lineup to that elite status. Here is how I would make the lineup of the Phillies with Manny Machado in it.
Note: This might not be what the Phillies would do, but it’s what makes sense to me.
- Odubel Herrera – CF
- Rhys Hoskins – LF
- Manny Machado – SS
- Carlos Santana – 1B
- Cesar Hernandez – 2B
- Maikel Franco – 3B
- Nick Williams – RF
- Jorge Alfrado – C
- Starting Pitcher – P
Bench:
Aaron Altherr – RF , Andrew Knapp – C , J.P. Crawford – SS
I don’t know about you, but that looks like a deadly lineup to me. And if you thought that pitching would be a weakness, think no more. They have Aaron Nola, a very surprising star, and Jake Ariettia. Along with Pat Neshek out of the pen, and you have a complete team.
The Defense
Not only would Manny Machado bring a great bat to Philly, but he also brings that stellar glove along with him. The former third baseman made the transition to shortstop last year. He has been as good, if not better, at shortstop as compared to third base. He would come to an above par defensive team too. With Odubel Herrera controlling the outfield, this team would become lethal defensively.
The Playoffs
So now I think that we need to talk playoffs. The Phillies are already in the playoff mix, but with Manny Manchado, things get bonkers. I think that they would definitely get past the Braves for the N.L. East division lead and maybe past the Brewers for the number one seed. That would mean they would take on either the Dodgers, Braves, or Cubs. I think with Manny Machado they could beat any of the following teams, and it would sure be an electric series to watch. If they were to win there, they would take on probably either the Brewers or D-Backs. If you ask me, with either of these teams that series wouldn’t go less than 6 games. The Phillies will definitely be around in October.
The Trade
The one down side to this situation is that the Phillies would have to give the Orioles something in return for Machado, since he isn’t a free agent. But if you ask me, I don’t think the Phillies will have to give up much. At worst, they give up a few prospects, since the Phillies won’t break up their core. The Orioles would probably take this offer. However, the Orioles farm system is very bad, so those prospects may not turn into much. They probably could get less, since the Orioles front office couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat.
