We know that John Middleton is prepared to spend copious amounts of cash, “And maybe even be a little bit stupid about it.’’

Now, according to Venezuelan reporter Juan Vené, the Phillies are no longer interested in Manny Machado:

Los Phillies ya no tienen interés en firmar a Manny (María Moñito) Machado. El mánager, Gabe Kapler, no lo cree conveniente. En esa organización tienen a un grupo de jovencitos, que requieren buenos ejemplos en el campo de juego, no la indolencia del joven que adorna su cabeza con las clinejas de María Moñito…

Now for the English-speaking among you:

The Phillies are no longer interested in signing Manny Machado. The manager, Gabe Kapler, doesn’t believe it’s a good idea. In that organization, there’s a group of young players who need good examples on the playing field, not the laziness of a young man who adorns his head with María Moñito’s braids.

This marks the first time I’ve seen a report out of Venezuela related to Machado, one that I’m not sure should be taken seriously. Vené has 26,800 followers on Twitter, but the reference to Moñito screams of an old-school guy who doesn’t respect Machado. María Moñito – or Moñitos depending on the region – is an old Venezuelan folk tune about a girl who gets upset when the narrator refuses to eat a lumpy mixture of rice and banana. The comparison is likely meant to be demeaning based on Machado’s hair:

(Photo courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)

Here’s a tasteful interpretation of Moñito:

And there’s this interpretation:

Anyway, if you can get past the hair reference, it’s clear Vené doesn’t believe the Phillies will be spending any of their money on Machado.

Another interesting takeaway from his “En La Pelota” post:

El agente de Bryce Harper, Scott Boras, insiste en que su pupilo “es un pelotero generacional”, capaz de encargarse él solo, de mantener a un equipo con record de victorias y derrotas que lo ponga en la postemporada. Por eso insiste en que Bryce vale los 500 millones de dólares por 10 temporadas, que dice aspirar…

Even those without any legitimate fluency in Spanish could probably pick out the reported contract demands of Scott Boras on behalf of Bryce Harper: $500 million over 10 seasons… Woof.