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District 2 Wrestling Championships: Predictions and analysis

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Our View: Best wishes to new Arc director Donna Sedor

<p>CLEARWATER, Fla. &#8212; The sting of being outbid for Manny Machado proved to be enough motivation for the Phillies to heighten their pursuit of Bryce Harper, and a source said Thursday afternoon that they are confident they will sign the superstar outfielder.</p><p>The Phillies began the offseason with the expectation that they would sign Harper or Machado. They met with both players over the winter as the free-agent market slogged. Those expectations, according to the source, have not changed even as Harper is the last superstar standing.</p><p>The Phillies were interested in Machado, but did not prove to be aggressive enough as the Padres gave the infielder $300 million over 10 years. That price, general manager Matt Klentak said, &#8220;exceeded our valuation, and sometimes you have to be willing to walk away.&#8221;</p><p>Scott Boras, Harper&#8217;s agent, is set on getting his client a deal bigger than Machado&#8217;s. The Phillies are well aware what the public perception will be if they end the offseason without either free agent, and they will be much more reluctant this time to walk away.</p><p>The Phillies&#8217; confidence is increased by a market for Harper that appears to be thinning. Their biggest challenger could be San Francisco, but the Giants seem leery of a long-term deal. MLB.com reported Wednesday that a return to Washington was unlikely as the Nationals &#8220;have no plans&#8221; to sign Harper to a deal comparable to the one Machado scored.</p><p>The Padres had been in on Harper, but their deal with Machado likely takes them out of the race. The White Sox said a $300 million contract for Machado &#8220;wasn&#8217;t feasible to us,&#8221; and they are not expected to be motivated to spend on Harper. The Phillies, two days after losing out on Machado, appeared Thursday to be in the driver&#8217;s seat to land Harper.</p><p>Harper, since 2015, ranks in the top 10 among all major leaguers in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, and walks. Harper fits the profile that manager Gabe Kapler would love for his lineup. He is one of the game&#8217;s best power hitters, but he also has the approach needed to run up pitch counts and is not against working a walk.</p><p>He not only would provide the Phillies with star power, but he also would give them a needed left-handed threat in their lineup. Plus, his track record at Citizens Bank Park makes it tempting to imagine what he could do with a full slate of home games in South Philly. Harper&#8217;s 14 homers at Citizens Bank Park are tied with three others for first among active visiting players in the history of the hitter-friendly ballpark. His .930 OPS is the sixth highest all-time among visitors.</p><p>Perhaps most importantly, Harper is just 26 years old. If he arrives, he would instantly join Pete Rose, Jim Thome, and Cliff Lee as the biggest free agents to sign with the Phillies. But those three were much older when they came to Philadelphia. Rose was 37 when he signed in December 1978. Thome was 32 in December 2002, and Lee was 32 in December 2010. The free agency this winter of Harper and Machado, because of their age and talent, was nearly unprecedented.</p><p>Klentak noted earlier this spring that the Phillies were not bored as they waited for Machado and Harper to make their decisions. The general manager upgraded his lineup by trading for catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Jean Segura and signing outfielder Andrew McCutchen. He bolstered the bullpen by signing David Robertson.</p><p>The Phillies reported to spring training as a much improved team after last season&#8217;s collapse. But so did the Nationals, Braves, and Mets. The National League East this season will present a much stiffer test. The Phillies labeled their offseason a success, but this winter would always be judged on their ability to land a superstar. They failed to corral the first one, but their confidence remains high that they will not have to walk away from Harper.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">After missing out on superstar shortstop Manny Machado, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of Bryce Harper (pictured). </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_NLDS-Nats-G2-CMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>After missing out on superstar shortstop Manny Machado, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of Bryce Harper (pictured). </caption0><photoCredit0>Alex Brandon | AP file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Matt Breen</p><p>The Philadelphia Inquirer</p></bylineMeta></div>

Phillies confident they will sign Bryce Harper as negotiations pick up