This is the quiet time in baseball. In a sport that has become a 52-week-a-year endeavor, this is the one time when many offices go dark and executives try to play catchup with rest and family.

Still, cellphones might be muted, but not turned off — at least not for substantial stretches. Thus, a few players and teams who want to resolve issues before 2018 turns to 2019 could make news this week.

But Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are almost certainly January decisions — perhaps later than that for Harper.

Anticipation for this particular free-agent phase has been years in the making due to belief it could be the best crop ever. But since this class first appeared on the horizon three years ago, much has occurred to diminish it. Most tragically, Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident. Charlie Blackmon, Clayton Kershaw and Jean Segura signed extensions. Age and/or injuries curtailed the cha-ching potential on Zach Britton, Josh Donaldson, Matt Harvey, Garrett Richards and many others.

This exemplifies why long-term plotting is so difficult and why I will hold off my excitement about the 2020-21 class that will be headlined by Mookie Betts and Mike Trout.

What has remained is the interest and intrigue about where Harper and Machado will land — such is the power of their talents and birthdates (within three months of each other in 1992, making them barely older than Aaron Judge, who isn’t even arbitration eligible until after next season).

So in this quiet week, what do I think about the loudest story in the majors — where Harper and Machado will end up?

I believe desperate teams will offer the most, and this offseason those are the Phillies and White Sox. Philadelphia has been plotting that this would be a substantial offseason for years and then its owner, John Middleton, publicly talked about spending “stupid” money. Translation: No matter how Phillies leadership spins it, the club signs Harper or Machado or it had a terrible offseason.

The White Sox have not been as publicly bold with their plans. But they are in on Harper and Machado, and executives and agents reveal that they have been aggressive in trade and free-agent discussions. Some within the game expect White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to rein in any outsized bids for Harper or Machado. But Reinsdorf turns 83 in February and wants to win again in his lifetime. He knows he is fighting the dominant Cubs for interest in Chicago. And this is the guy who, despite being a labor hawk who was leading the charge to curtail salaries on players, signed Albert Belle to a record five-year, $55 million deal after the 1996 season. Reinsdorf said he wanted to win fans back. White Sox average attendance had fallen to 20,703 in 1996, the lowest in seven years. In 2018, White Sox average attendance fell under 20,000 for the first time since 1999.

So if this is about the last dollar, then my money would be on the White Sox for Harper and the Phillies for Machado — or vice versa.

What adds drama is the presence of the Dodgers lurking for Harper and the Yankees for Machado. Traditionally, these would be the teams financially flexing for these kinds of stars. But the superpowers have leverage. They could line up how they are constituted today and be strong contenders. Yet both still have moves to make. The Dodgers could still trade for Cleveland’s Corey Kluber or Miami’s J.T. Realmuto. The Yankees could prioritize a super bullpen again and try to sign, for example, both Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino and then just stopgap at short with someone such as Freddy Galvis until Didi Gregorius returns from Tommy John surgery.

So the Dodgers and Yankees could offer shorter deals for large annual values and force Harper/Machado to decide whether they want the long money or an all-but-guaranteed chance to win annually and another shot at free agency at, say, age 30 — younger, if outs are included. Word is neither player particularly likes Philadelphia and both would have preferred the Yankees, who have shown little interest in Harper.

Players have usually favored the guaranteed mega-dollars, and that is understandable. The changing complexion of this free-agent class exemplifies how much a player’s status can change in a year or two. So taking the 10-year-ish contract for $300 million-plus is understandable.

But the other choice, particularly for Harper, is fascinating. Because even if the Dodgers refuse to offer the mega-deal, landing there for four-ish years is what is best for Harper and — not that this should matter to the slugger — the game. Harper is the one player who could walk down a street and be recognized even by the casual fan. He belongs in the star factory because it would extend his brand like no other locale, while being so close to his Vegas home. Is it just me who already sees the Sports Illustrated baseball preview issue with — in full uniform — LeBron James and Harper on the cover with the title, “Oooh, L.A., L.A.?” The ESPN group interview with that duo plus Todd Gurley? That helps Harper and it helps MLB, with its mega-star being associated with the biggest star in sports.

Scott Boras has sold his client as the baseball LeBron. Well, the basketball LeBron has regularly gambled on himself with short contracts to get what he wants: championship chasing in Miami, hometown adoration in Cleveland, post-career possibilities in Los Angeles. Does Harper really want the White Sox or Phillies? Or should he gamble on himself that there is so much more on and off the field as a Dodger?

Is the same true with Machado and the Yankees over the Phillies or White Sox?

From an offseason that was supposed to be historic, this is what remains to enthrall and captivate: What do Harper and Machado choose?