By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
With the non-waiver trade deadline just over three weeks away, the first-place Philadelphia Phillies are surely expected to make moves to position the team for both short and long-term success. Baseball scribe Jayson Stark joined Mornings with Anthony Gargano on 97.5 The Fanatic Monday morning to discuss the latest hot stove rumors regarding the club.
'Only Way' Phillies Acquire Manny Machado This July
"I've never felt like the Phillies were a good bet to trade for Manny [Machado]. I've always felt they were a really good bet to sign him this winter. The price tag on Manny is just going to be higher than they think they're prepared to pay for a rental player. There's just no guarantee whatsoever that if they trade for him, he'll sign or it will open a window. None of that is happening.
What they would like to do is, they have this ability to take on money. They are $100 million below the luxury tax threshold. They would love to use that ability to take back money and contracts teams are trying to move, and because of that, use their incredible depth of second-tier prospects. They're going to be a bunch of deals to be made in the next few weeks using that approach. I don't think Manny Machado is one of them. The Orioles have to prioritize getting impact talent back, and that's just not something the Phillies are looking to give up for a rental.
Money is a big part of everything that goes on this time of year. Bad teams, when they realize the mess they're in, don't just need to move players. There's a real value to freeing up money that you can use for other stuff over the winter. Teams like the Orioles. They're payroll compared to their record makes no sense. At some point, they're going to have a lot of pieces they need to move, and they might be fine with you taking on a contract.
I think Manny Machado is going to get moved somewhere this week, is the way it sounds. But, if they run into a situation where they couldn't get what they were looking for, and then it was July 29-30 and they wanted to package Manny Machado with some bad contract of theirs that it was somebody that fit what the Phillies were looking for, that there could have been a match.
I think that's probably the only way."
Is Trading Zach Eflin in Manny Machado Package Ideal?
"Sixto Sanchez is untouchable. He is a non-starter. I understand why and I understand what he has the chance to be, but Zach Eflin is already in the big leagues and he never loses. If you're trying to win, there are very few teams that subtract from their big league club, or at least the important parts when they are trying to win.
If you analyze the Phillies, what has their strength been? The rotation. It would make no sense to trade one of your best starters in the big leagues for just about anything. Manny Machado is a difference maker, he's a team-changer … but that would be a really unusual deal for any contender to make."
Potential Phillies Interest in Donaldson, Frazier, and Royals' Merrifield, Moustakas
"If Josh Donaldson gets healthy … he's expected back off the DL shortly. If he looks healthy, that's a name to keep in mind. He went through a very similar deal last year, the first half … he had these non-stop calf injuries and couldn't stay healthy. I think he led the league in homers in the second half. He's very capable of doing that again. He would throw a charge into the room. He's just an energizer. I would file that one away for sure.
Todd Frazier is obviously not having a good year, but he does hit the ball out of the park. He's a ride up the road in New Jersey. I don't know that you could argue he's a clear upgrade, but he might be a guy you can just take his contract.
Whit Merrifield is a good player. He had five hits yesterday. He's a bounce-around-the-field kind of player, more than he is a guy you plug in to third base and just leave him there the rest of the year. The last I heard, the Royals were not sure if they even wanted to move him. That would make no sense to me, the way they are playing. He's 29 years old. He's never going to be more valuable than he is right now, but they aren't sure.
Mike Moustakas is still in play.
If they're adding someone like this, then there has to be a companion deal. Maikel Franco probably has to get moved somewhere. There are a lot of different moving parts here I would say over these next three weeks."
Phillies Are Shopping for ‘Bats’
"They're looking around. I would say the left side of the infield seems to be the priority, but when I ask other teams what the Phillies are shopping for, they say 'bats.'
Outfield bat is a possibility. That also gets complicated, because you're not going to do anything that jeopardizes Rhys Hoskins' playing time, or Odubel Herrera's playing time.
If you just look at production from right field, they're next-to-last in the National League. Aaron Altherr obviously has been a part of that, Nick Williams has been a lot better, but maybe you get a right-handed bat to pair with Nick Williams. Maybe it's not a huge move, but it's a piece-of-the-puzzle kind of move. That wouldn't shock me at all."
'Safe to Assume' Franco Will Not Be With Phillies in 2019
"He is such a talented kid. He really is. It really wouldn't shock them [and] wouldn't shock me … if he got traded, went somewhere and turned into a much better player than what he is right now. He's still so young.
I don't think [the Phillies] would have expected to look up on July 9, be tied for first place, and had a better record than the Nationals. When you find yourself in this situation, it changes the way you have to look at your picture, big and small. That would define them right now. They got an opportunity they didn't expect to have because the Nationals have been such a disappointment. The Nationals have opened that door to winning the division — wide. It's a lot different deal to be kicking the tires on little moves you can make to maybe get into the Wild Card game, versus trying to win the division and maybe have home-field advantage.
There is such an opportunity now that, they look at a player like Maikel Franco, and they've been waiting, waiting and waiting for exit velocity and all the metrics that indicate he's been unlucky … to translate into a better player. He's been pretty much the same guy, and because of that, I think it's safe to assume he's not going to be here next year. So, if he's not going to be here next year, and you can get something of value for him this year and fill that whole where Moustakas, Donaldson, Frazier, Merrifield, whoever it turns out to be, you're better this year … and then you sign Manny Machado in the winter, you are better for the next five years."
