Es Hora De Conseguir Machado

I am all in on a deal to bring Manny Machado to Citizen's Bank Ballpark.

To this point, I've been lukewarm on the trade route, generally favoring taking our shot at Manny in free agency. But things, as they say, have changed considerably.

I heard a proposal today that makes sense and a deal I think Matt Klentak should make: SS JP Crawford, Triple A SP Enyel De Los Santos and a lower-level minor leaguer or two go south.

I am not sure if Baltimore can beat this deal or not, but it is fair. Crawford has been a top prospect for several years now, and still projects as an above-average SS at worst. De los Santos is starting the Triple A All-Star game and sports a 1.81 ERA in 15 starts.

My pro-trade stance came about for a couple reasons:

1. We get a head start. I've heard several fans say we should just wait until free agency and sign Machado without giving anything up. Sounds so simple.

Yet, it isn't. The only thing we know for sure is Manny isn't going to Baltimore. Otherwise, if he makes it to free agency, it's a free agent free-for-all. And the Phillies' money isn't any greener than the Yankees', Cubs' or Dodgers' cash.

On the other hand, if we get Machado in the house for even three or four months, I think it makes a difference. He gets comfortable, makes new friends, likes the area and enjoys playing baseball again. Most importantly, the difference between losing every night before a comatose crowd and winning in front of high-energy Philly fans makes an impression.

The Phils are going to meet the market price. Giving Manny a taste of what it's like to play here might be the difference.

2. We can make the playoffs. This is the clincher. We need Machado now, so there's a price to pay for that need. I would not have believed the postseason was a viable goal at the start of the season, or even three weeks ago.

But the Phils tore through their brutal 15-game stretch at 10-5. If the season ended today, they would be a wild card. I previously wrote about the Phils' relatively soft second half, and my expectation they can win 45 of 80 games. So far, they're 2-0.

They won 45 of the first 82. All these numbers mean they are realistically moving into the 88-90-win neighborhood.

I believe that two-and-a-half months of Manny Machado are worth 3 wins minimum -- or enough to lock down that playoff spot. This is not just a case of targeted player being an upgrade. This is a player who is an absolutely perfect fit for what this team needs.

Cap'n Kap's squad would go from a SS with a .607 OPS to one with a .937.

And in case you're wondering, August is Manny's best month for batting average (.310), homers (33) and RBIs (102).

But he owns a .174 average in seven postseason games. The Phillies haven't seen a postseason since 2011.

Maybe player and team can come together and repair both of those numbers.