SAN DIEGO -- When Manny Machado and Bryce Harper helped the U-18 U.S. national team win gold in the 2009 Pan American Junior Championships, little did they know their careers would be linked for a very long time.

A year after beating Cuba in those Pan Am Games, Machado and Harper were part of the same Draft class. Harper went No. 1 overall to the Nationals and Machado was selected by the Orioles two picks later.

In 2018, Machado and Harper were linked together again, going into the offseason as the top two free agents in the market. Both were in their mid-20s, and both got huge deals from the Padres and Phillies, respectively, to become the face of two rebuilding franchises.

Four years later, here they are again. Machado has made San Diego an even more attractive location, and Harper has turned the Phillies’ organization into a winner. Now, both superstars will have a chance at helping their teams reach the World Series.

“They’re the two premier players that both teams revolve around,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said on the eve of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. “I think the impact that [Harper's] had there [in Philadelphia] is similar to the impact that Manny has had here [in San Diego].”

Heading into the 2018-19 offseason, Machado and Harper didn’t know exactly where they would end up. There was always the possibility the two could wind up as teammates, but that would have required a team to dole out over half-billion dollars on two players, which was unlikely, even for players of this caliber.

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In Machado’s case, it was obvious he wasn’t going to return to the Dodgers, an organization he only played with for a couple of months following a midseason trade. His market, much like everyone’s that offseason, moved much slower than anticipated. He had conversations with multiple teams, including visiting the Phillies’ brass in Philadelphia.

“It was definitely an interesting offseason for sure for all of us,” Machado said. “I think the beauty of being a free agent is you get to explore, you get to see everything. You kind of get to see the board.”

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That board became clearer for Machado once he chatted with Padres general manager A.J. Preller. Originally, San Diego wasn't expected to be a big player that offseason. The Padres had conversations with middling infielders, hoping to land one of them on a short-term deal, a likely stopgap until their elite farm system, led by Fernando Tatis Jr., was ready to shine in the Majors.

On Feb. 21, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres. Since then, San Diego has felt comfortable making impact moves. The Padres traded for starters Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove before the 2021 season. A few months ago, they won the Trade Deadline by acquiring All-Star closer Josh Hader as well as Brandon Drury, Josh Bell and superstar Juan Soto.

“I think going back to the meeting when I sat down with A.J. and he convinced me to come over here, I saw the vision. I saw what he had and what this organization meant,” Machado said. “Obviously, the city was one of the best cities in the country and one of the most beautiful ballparks all across the nation. It was a matter of coming out here and trying to do something special, and here we are today.”

For Harper, that offseason was also unpredictable. He was already the face of the Nationals’ franchise, and the expectation was that he would return. The Nats, of course, already had his replacement in place via a budding 20-year-old superstar in Soto.

Harper’s market included everything. He had long-term offers, but as his market stalled, even the small-market Rays got involved, offering him a one-year, $50 million deal.

The Phillies, on the other hand, came into that offseason with a low payroll. Their window wasn’t as far away as the Padres’, but they still had a ways to go before being considered perennial contenders. However, they knew they had to land one of the two superstars in order to show their commitment to a passionate fan base.

They went hard after Machado and Harper. But after Machado chose San Diego, Philadelphia became even more aggressive with Harper, knowing he would be the next face of its franchise.

On Feb. 28, a week after Machado signed with the Padres, Harper was on his way to the Phils on a 13-year, $330 million deal. That was followed by other aggressive free agent moves, including signing ace Zack Wheeler and All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to long-term deals.

“It was something that was perfect for me and my family,” Harper said. “Of course, we’ve had our ups and downs. My first Spring Training I can remember, I said it’s going to take us four, five years to get us where we want to be.”

Here we are. Everything has worked out for two organizations that were starving for a winner. Only one can represent the National League. Machado and Harper will be in the middle of it, just like they always have been.

“Where are we at, NLCS?” Machado said, as he turned around to point at the back screen inside the Padres’ interview room. “I think it worked out pretty good, right?”