By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
This Saturday, Philadelphia Phillies officials will travel 2,400 westward to Las Vegas, Nevada to meet with Bryce Harper and his agent, Scott Boras. Reports have suggested that the club will only acquire Harper or Manny Machado this offseason, not both as what was originally reported to be a possibility.
If all goes well with their meeting with Harper, the club could in fact land both superstar talents after all.
According to Dominican Republic sports journalist Héctor Gómez, the "race to sign Machado" is down to two teams: the Phillies and the Chicago White Sox, hence leaving out the once-thought-to-be favorite, the New York Yankees.
While the Phillies can lure Machado with cash, the White Sox have taken a unique approach: acquire family and friends of the perennial Gold Glove Award candidate. On Tuesday, the club agreed to terms with outfielder Jon Jay, who is friends and workout partners with Machado. On December 15, the club acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso, Machado's brother-in-law, from the Cleveland Indians.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported on Wednesday that "momentum" is "building" toward Harper re-signing with the Washington Nationals, while Phillies "appear to be turning up their pursuit" of Machado.
If the race to sign Machado is truly between the Phillies and White Sox, Machado is expected to decide on a team "within a week," according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine.
While we thought Machado and Harper were going to drag out their offseason to the limit, right before spring training, it appears both stars are heading toward a decision sooner rather than later.
