After the acquisition of Santana, I have become even more an advocate of bringing in Machado for several reasons, to wit...
With Machado and Santana added to the youthful mix, the Phils lineup looks like a handful for opposing pitchers and MM is likely to see the long term potential of the club.
It gives the Phils an entire season to integrate MM to the city, organization, players and potential of this erstwhile sleeping giant.
It also gives the Phils [and Middleton!] the entire season to possibly entice Machado to sign with the Phils long term even before he tests free agency.
Personally, I much prefer competing with the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs etc for MM after he has had a year to familiarize himself with the organization than simply hoping to outspend them as a basically unknown entity.
It sure makes the Phils look better to free agent hurlers seeking a job...and the chance to win with Santana AND Machado on board.
Phils can still recoup some [or much] of what they offer in trade for MM either at the deadline [Yanks might be more inclined to bite on a deal when his salary is half paid] or by offering him arbitration [which he will decline] and Phils will get another top draft pick.
Once they got Santana, they jumped all in in my mind and I simply refuse to believe they got one without at least hoping for the other shoe to drop.
Look, Yanks just signed CC today so they don't have the money right now to bring on MM and stay under the cap, White Sox are not serious about bringing him in, and few teams other than the Cards have the need for a 3rd baseman [or shortstop] or the money to pay him.
Last night on MLB network they indicated the O's want to trade him THIS weekend and the Baltimore papers are already preparing for his departure by talking about how well they did when he was injured and didn't play. He is gone, probably soon. I admire Sanchez's potential as much as anyone but I also can give you 10 names of Phillie hurlers in the past who had almost as much ballyhoo and never made it...Muminghoff, Wright, Bayless, Brink, Green, Downs, Freeman, Maddux, Coombs, Ghelfi...off the top of my head.
This is Manny Machado, for goodness sake and if the Phils, by acquiring him now, give themselves even a 10% better chance of keeping him long term by doing so, I am all in. These opportunities don't come often, Halladay was the last one I remember, Thome before that.
I, for one, am all in.