Heading into the 2018-19 MLB offseason, the baseball universe was prepared to embark on one of the most majestic free-agent sweepstakes the sport had ever seen. Not one, but two of the sport’s most heralded, accomplished, and polarizing stars were set to enter free-agency at the ripe age of 26, a combination that happens so rarely. These two superstars were Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
After being wined and dined by front offices, legendary franchise stalwarts, and organizations’ top current talents, the two superstars signed for massive deals: Harper for 13 years, $330 million and Machado for 10 years, $300 million. The surprising part of each player’s deal, though, was that their decision was relatively unsuspected. Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, who were coming off 7 straight seasons of sub-.500 baseball and zero playoff appearances. Machado inked with the San Diego Padres, who hadn’t made the postseason since 2006 and had not won more than 90 games since 1998. Their decisions obviously weren’t made based on previous success, but instead rallying around an organizational cry for a future of winning baseball.
In fact, there was criticism at the time of the deals, because it seemed unreasonable that Harper and Machado would sign with clubs that hadn’t won in so long and that maybe it was solely about the money. Of course, money is and always will be a factor in free-agency, and deservedly so. But, the most amazing part of the mega-deals signed by the two mega-stars is that they were willing to take a chance on a city, while the organization was willing to take a chance on themselves that they could construct winning clubs around their new face of the franchise.
It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses for each franchise since the signing of these two superstars, as the Phillies experienced three more consecutive seasons of missing the postseason while the Padres lost 92 games in the first season with Manny. But, look at where these organizations sit now. The Phillies are riding a magical run to the NLCS, having knocked out divisional nemesis Atlanta after avenging their last postseason appearance by sweeping St Louis. The Padres are also in the championship series on the strength of removing the enormous monkey off their back by taking down the big brother, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Each team has had enormous contributions from key guys throughout the regular season and postseason, but there is no question who acts as the heartbeats for both squads: Harper and Machado. These stars have changed everything within the organization, starting with the mindset and concluding with the win/loss column.
This isn’t just a happy-go-lucky story though. Well, maybe it is right now for Philly and San Diego, but not so much for some others. What about the teams that have failed to do what the Phillies and Padres have so boldly sought out? What about front offices and ownership that may not be on the same page, so the organizational structure isn’t strong enough to make a joint decision to go all-in for a superstar? For those who fit into this sad categorical representation, this year’s NLCS isn’t anything more than a mirror with self-inflicted insults written across the top. As a member of the disappointed White Sox fanbase, it is surely not enjoyable going to sleep at night wondering if Bryce Harper or Manny Machado could have done something similar to what they are doing now in Chicago.
Speaking of the White Sox, they represent the perfect data point in this discussion. They were rumored to “have a seat at the table” during the Harper and Machado dealings while being in the exact same circumstances as their eventual toughest competition. Yet, they were unable to pull the trigger, unable to make the decision that wasn’t easy. And, ironically, the White Sox will be the ones at home while the Phils and Pads play for a World Series berth. Maybe I’m writing this from a point of jealousy or resentment, but it makes me feel better to know that I was not crazy for wanting my team of choice to sign one of the best baseball players in the world who was only 26 years old. White Sox rant aside, they perfectly show that when organizations conduct business in a timid and hesitant manner, it leads to timid and hesitant results. The Phillies and Padres were full-willing to change their organization and start winning, and they disregarded hesitation in favor of confidence in themselves to build something special.
This is the point of the article. In an era of sports where the idea of rebuilding has become more accepted and practiced, there is nothing that helps rebuttal that ideology such as a team who just says “screw it” and tries to win at any cost. The Phillies, Padres and White Sox were not moving in the right direction heading into the 2018-2019 offseason, and all three had similar ideas in mind. However, of those three, two teams looked to change the organizational mindset by adding generational talent while one team looked to manage risk by playing it safe and following along with the prototypical rebuilding timeline. Of those two subgroups, the teams that left risk to the wind and took a chance are 4 wins away from the World Series. The team that was too afraid to take a chance, spend the money and go all-in has won two playoff games in the four years since and will be watching the championship series from the couch for the now 17th consecutive season. I’m not sure there is a better endorsement than this example for trying to win whenever, and however, an organization can.
What I am really trying to say here is that it is good for baseball that Machado and Harper, and more importantly their respective teams, are thriving. Philadelphia and San Diego could have each decided to sit back and conclude that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were out of their price range, and by signing them they could be strapping themselves down to a bad contract that could cost them much worse than the money itself. The two clubs could have conceded the two players to the likes of the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers or Red Sox because that is more along the lines of their modes of operation.
Instead, they didn’t do any of that. The Phillies and Padres made organizational commitments to these incredible talents and distinguished that they were done with bad, sometimes mediocre, baseball teams. Their mutual commitments are paying off for everyone involved, and there is no better evidence than the environments in Philadelphia and San Diego this weekend that making franchise altering moves is good for Major League Baseball and its fans.
