By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Major League Baseball offseason is off to a rapid start. Clayton Kershaw already inked a three-year, $93 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cole Hamels' $20 million club option with the Chicago Cubs was exercised, and many players were extended qualifying offers, among other transactions.
The Philadelphia Phillies' only transactions thus far have been subtractions — rather than additions — with veterans Jose Bautista, Asdrubal Cabrera, Pedro Florimon, Aaron Loup and Wilson Ramos all removed from the 40-man roster. International League MVP Joey Meneses was also released, so he could pursue a playing opportunity in Japan.
With the 40-man roster at 35, the Phillies are poised to add multiple players through free agency or trade. On Friday, MLBTradeRumors.com predicted — in its 2018-19 edition of Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions — that the Phillies will sign three players: former Baltimore Orioles teammates (2012-2014), infielder Manny Machado and outfielder Nick Markakis, along with right-handed starter Charlie Morton.
Manny Machado: Thirteen years, $390 million ($30 million AAV)
Machado, 26, is and always has been the Phillies top free-agent pursuit. despite his controversial actions and comments in the recently completed postseason. The four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove Award winner and seven-year veteran produced a career-best .297 batting average, .367 on-base percentage, .538 slugging percentage, .905 OPS, and 107 RBI in 2018.
If the Phillies in fact sign Machado to a lengthy, lucrative deal, the future of Scott Kingery, Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, Cesar Hernandez, and others becomes vague, and fast. Still, the Phillies would consider that a good problem to have. Phillies Vice President and General Manager Matt Klentak said Thursday on SportsRadio 94 WIP that if the Phillies acquire an outfielder, for example, there would probably have to be "some sort of corresponding move."
"Whether it is the same day, a week later or month later, I don’t know," Klentak said. "That would probably be the case. Same thing in the infield and same thing, probably, on the mound.
"That’s one of the challenges of the offseason, but kind of one of the fun parts about our offseason. … We can really play both sides of things., where we are exploring acquisitions, but also can explore what it would mean trading one of our own players away and what we can get back. We really have to play both sides of it."
Nick Markakis: Two years, $16 million ($8 million AAV)
Markakis, who will be 35 on Opening Day, has missed only six games over the last three seasons with the division-rival Atlanta Braves. The 13-year veteran is a career .288/.358/.424 hitter. Last season, he produced 14 home runs and a National League 11th-best 93 RBI, just three shy of Rhys Hoskins' 10th-best RBI production (96). The Braves declined to extend Markakis a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer on Friday.
Markakis has ample experience fielding either of the corner outfield positions. He would be a solid and reliable second option — on a team-friendly deal — if Bryce Harper's ends up signing elsewhere. For what it's worth, MLB Trade Rumors has the Dodgers inking Harper to a 14-year, $420 million contract ($30 million AAV).
Charlie Morton: Two years, $32 million ($16 million AAV)
Morton, who will also be 35 on Opening Day, was limited to only four starts with the Phillies in 2016 due to a hamstring injury suffered while running to first base. In his 55 starts since, all with the Houston Astros, the 11-year veteran has gone 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA, 364-114 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.176 WHIP spanning 313 2/3 innings and 1,312 batters faced.
Morton helped the Astros to a World Series championship in 2017 — posting a 1.74 ERA in 10 1/3 innings opposite the Dodgers in the Fall Classic. The Astros are not expected to extend Morton a one-year qualifying offer.
The Phillies really could use a left-handed starter — rather than another right-hander like Morton — to complement Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, and the young core comprised of Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff, among others. Yet, if signed, the Flemington, New Jersey, native could become a solid No. 2 starter on a significantly cheaper deal than Arrieta's.
Klentak said Thursday on SportsRadio 94 WIP that the club inking a "mega contract" could "move the needle" even further, and added that the Phillies are "more than likely" to explore long-term contracts this winter.
In addition, Klentak said that the Phillies would "love" to sign a "front-line" starting pitcher. Morton is not Kershaw, Dallas Keuchel, or Patrick Corbin by any means, but he has shown signs of greatness with the Astros over the past two seasons.
