A modest flicker comes from the stove this Monday afternoon.

As the baseball world continues its collective wait on the decisions of marquee free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, sources tell MLB.com’s Jon Morosi the Phillies may be looking to tackle other items on their offseason shopping list before either player announces his plans.

From Morosi:

The Phillies aren’t waiting on decisions from Harper and Machado as the team ambitiously pursues upgrades to its roster, people in the industry told MLB.com Monday. In fact, the sources said it’s possible the Phillies will sign multiple free agents before Harper or Machado agree to terms.

Of course, it’s also possible that they don’t.

Morosi’s sources link the Phillies to starting pitchers Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi, and J.A. Happ, as well as closers Zach Britton and Craig Kimbel, among others. Certainly, given the team’s modest current salary obligations, signing one or two notable free agents won’t preclude it from pursuing Harper or Machado.

Meanwhile, the Phillies reportedly checked in with the Diamondbacks on Paul Goldschmidt, but…

Carlos Santana: the gift that keeps on giving.

Anyway, one could view this news as an encouraging signal that the team is getting ready to do something as the slow start to Major League Baseball’s free agency period crawls forward, but while I’m ready for some action, I do wonder what exactly the plan is here.

They can’t be in on everybody, can they?

Are the Phillies leaving no stone unturned in a creative and inventive planning process prior to making significant financial investments over the coming seasons, or are they a team with a sense of desperation to become relevant that’s showing up with a blank check and no idea how to spend it? The answer remains to be seen, but I do know that the latter, while fun to consider as we wait for the stove to slowly heat, could have disastrous long-term consequences.