"Bryce Harper didn't sign till March; Manny Machado did the same" - Phillies insider predicts when MLB teams will actively pursue top free agents
Despite all the predictions on MLB free agents heating up in recent weeks, Philadelphia Phillies insider Connor Thomas believes that the offseason signing will get rolling after the Winter Meetings.
This year, the Winter Meetings among MLB executives will be held from December 8-12 in Dallas Texas. Historically, that's always the busiest period in the market. Locked On Phillies host Thomas believes that's what we can expect in the near future:
"Obviously as it always is in baseball, it's slow developing. That has been more of a recent trend these past couple of years. ... Bryce Harper didn't sign till March, Manny Machado did the same.
"So, you're looking at a situation where we have time. Normally the mark for when the offseason really gets rolling is the Winter Meetings because the teams get together. It's when you really get a chance to hash out everything. It almost feels like up until the Winter Meetings, it's the team handling a lot of interior stuff ... kind of laying out your plan for the offseason."
Heading into the 2024 MLB offseason, Juan Soto has dominated headlines as the biggest free agent available in the market.
While a host of teams have shown interest in the Dominican, there has been no concrete outcome yet. The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the teams in pursuit of Soto, but they have also been linked with other players like Alex Bregman.
Phillies reportedly interested in LHP Garrett Crochet to bolster their rotation for next MLB season
Having an owner who has been clear about his ambition of winning a World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to have a busy offseason this year. They have been backed to aggresively pursue Chichago White Sox ace Garrett Chrochet ahead of the next MLB season.
After winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year and making his first All-Star appearance Crochet says that he's interested in singing a long-term contract extension. But strong interest from the Phillies could sway Chicago and their pitcher.