Report: Phillies Remain ‘Aggressive’ for Keuchel, Kimbrel

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

The Philadelphia Phillies' remaining notable free agent targets does not necessarily end following Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the club will be "aggressive" in the market for closer Craig Kimbrel and southpaw starter Dallas Keuchel, even if it signs Harper "or" Machado.



The Phillies have eyed Kimbrel this offseason to improve the back-end of their rotation. Many thought inking longtime New York Yankees right-hander David Robertson would take the Phillies out of the running for the seven-time All-Star, however that appears to be far from the case according to Nightengale's report.

Likewise to wanting a high-end reliever, the Phillies also would like to improve and/or complement their starting rotation by adding a southpaw starter. After losing out on Patrick Corbin and J.A. Happ, among others, Keuchel appears to be the next best available option. The two sides have talked, however on December, MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported that the Phillies have been "unwilling" to meet the left-hander's request of a five-year contract.

The "or" in Nightengale's report stands out; if the Phillies do sign both Harper and Machado, the likelihood of signing the two aforementioned pitchers while remaining under the luxury tax threshold would be considerably low. The Phillies have considerably improved their roster so far this offseason, but it appears the best of such improvements have yet to occur. 

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