PHILADELPHIA _ Manny Machado and his agent, Dan Lozano, have laid their cards on the table. Even if there is a mystery team _ isn't there always a mystery team? _ it is clear that the primary suitors are the Phillies, New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
Of that trio, the Phillies have the greatest need and desire for Machado. The White Sox lost 100 games last year, and signing Machado is not going to push them into the playoffs. I'm sure he'd love to play with his brother-in-law Yonder Alonso, whom Chicago acquired from Cleveland earlier this month. But if you go play for the White Sox, you will forever be playing for the No. 2 team in your own city.
Consider this: The last time the White Sox drew more fans than the Cubs was 1992, the year Machado was born. That's a streak of 26 seasons, and it is not changing anytime soon. The White Sox could not even outdraw the Cubs the year they won the World Series, in 2005, and they could not outdraw them the following year, either.
The Cubs play in a quaint antique of a ballpark that draws fans from around the world. The White Sox moved into the first of the tsunami of late-20th- and early-21st-century new ballparks in 1991, and it is already outdated. If Machado enjoyed playing in front of empty seats in Baltimore, he's going to love the South Side of Chicago in the summertime.
The Yankees, of course, have no problem drawing fans in New York and from all over the world. They are the Manchester United of the baseball world. But Machado will never be loved in the Bronx the way he could be in Philadelphia. He will never be Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle.
That was evident from the two disparate scenes that took place outside Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. Up in New York, Machado's visit was barely an event. The visit with the Yankees lasted 90 minutes, and a handful of cameramen filmed him as he left the ballpark in a black SUV with darkened windows.
Contrast that with his arrival in Philadelphia, where a South Jersey union worker asked Machado to stop for a photo before advising him that the "Super Bowl champs" play across the street and that he could lead the Phillies to a World Series at Citizens Bank Park. The worker told Machado to "do the right thing and sign" before adding, "Take the money."
That scene might have frightened Mrs. Machado, but it made for great theater that was severely lacking on Machado's other two tour stops. The "money" advice was solid. The belief here remains that Phillies managing partner John Middleton is prepared to spend more money than the White Sox or Yankees to get Machado. I also believe that Philly would be the best fit for Machado.
