Cubs insider thinks Machado would be

Cubs insider thinks Machado would be "better fit" than Harper


by - Senior Editor -

The new offseason conversation for the Cubs will be surrounded by talk of how the Cubs can improve their hitting as they were horrid down the stretch.

Two of the biggest fish in the free agent pond will be outfielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Manny Machado.

Cubs insider Carrie Muskat wrote about both players in her latest inbox feature and thinks that Machado would be the better fit for the Cubs if they go without Addison Russell.

"Harper and Machado are both attractive," she said. "Harper, 25, has had fun fueling the rumor mill, from naming his dog Wrigley to posing with Las Vegas buddy Kris Bryant and their wives with the hashtag #Back2BackOneDay. He also batted .249 with a career-high 169 strikeouts this season with the Nationals. Machado, 26, is buddies with Albert Almora Jr. -- the two are so tight, they call each other "cousin," and they used to pretend they were on the same team playing in the World Series. Machado batted .297 with the Orioles and Dodgers this season. Who's the better option? If Russell does not return, Machado would be a better fit."

For the season, Machado hit .297 with 37 homers and 107 RBIs.

I would tend to agree with her but I think that either player will jumpstart the offense and that is certainly should be the main priority this offseason along with the health of Yu Darvish and Kris Bryant.

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