2018 MLB Free Agents: Top Rumors Before Regular Season Ends

As the 2018 Major League Baseball regular season comes to a conclusion, there's only one free agent on the minds of most baseball fans. 

Washington outfielder Bryce Harper will dictate the direction of a few franchises with his free-agent choice during the offseason. 

In addition to Harper, Manny Machado of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be coveted on the open market once the free-agent process escalates. 

Between now and the signing date of Harper, Machado and the rest of the available free agents, plenty of rumors will swirl around the league, and some of them are starting to creep into the conversation as October rolls around. 

Bryce Harper

Any contender with the salary available to sign Harper should make a run at the 25-year-old in the offseason. 

According to CBS Sports' Jim Bowden, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves could be among the strongest suitors for Harper. 

A move to any one of those five franchises would instantly put them at or near the top of the list of World Series favorites for the 2019 season. 

Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press

If Harper moved to the Cubs or Yankees, an argument could be made that their respective lineups would be one of the best in recent baseball history. 

A move to the Dodgers would put Harper close to his childhood home of Las Vegas, and it would hand the Dodgers yet another massive piece in their lineup as they push for the elusive championship. 

Joining up with the Phillies or Braves would mark a huge leap forward in the development process of both franchises, as Harper would be the centerpiece of a young core on both rosters. 

Of course, there's always a chance Harper returns to the Nationals, but each of the five teams mentioned above have more intriguing rosters than the Nats at this point in time. 

Manny Machado

Unlike Harper, Machado will participate in the postseason after he was traded to the Dodgers from the Baltimore Orioles. 

Machado will be in the news as much as Harper throughout the offseason, as he too could change the course of a certain franchise. 

Although he prefers shortstop, Machado is open to playing third base for a team that has an established shortstop, per Fancred's Jon Heyman. 

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The market for Machado will obviously grow in the coming months, but his potential suitors are starting to come out of the woodwork. 

According to Heyman, the St. Louis Cardinals could be a major player for Machado in the offseason, but Heyman previously reported the Yankees are Machado's preferred destination. 

The Yankees have an allure few franchises in the world can match, and if Machado's heart is set on a return to the AL East, the Yankees will find a way to make it happen. 

Other teams like the Phillies could easily jump into the Machado market, but for now, it's less developed because he could play up to an extra month of baseball. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.