February 03, 2019
Could the Phillies steal the Patriots and Rams thunder on Super Bowl Sunday? Well, it seems unlikely — as the Bryce Harper and Manny Machado heist of free agency continues. But you never know.
Here's a tidbit from Phils general manager Matt Klentak, who talked to NBC Sports Philadelphia's beat writer Jim Salisbury:
“Our job as management is to be patient and understand the ebbs and flows of the free agency process and be ready to strike whenever that time is. What we try not to do is have the timing push that. “What we did earlier in the offseason (adding Jean Segura, David Robertson and Andrew McCutchen) has allowed us to be in the position to where we're not letting the time pressure us into doing something. We're still open-minded in contract term and structure and working with the representatives on that, but I don't think the start of spring training, for example, serves as any deadline. We learned that last year with Jake [Arrietta].” [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
Spring training begins in less than two weeks now, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater on February 15. Games will start a little under two weeks after that.
The Phillies have shown they're willing to be super, mega patient, and as Klentak remarked, it could spill into spring training. And if it does, they'll keep waiting Harper and Machado out.
Which means there really is no good news this Super Bowl Sunday on the Phillies front.
To make sure that doesn't change, as always, here's out live chat/open thread:
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