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As Cactus and Grapefruit leagues approach, Manny Machado is finally out of the boardbut Bryce Harper remains unsigned at this late hour. That means we have a good buzz offer even as we head to March. To give you an idea of what is happening on Thursday, we are here to gather all the notable rumors about free trade and agencies. As always, our free agent tracker is a great way to keep up to date with what has happened on this front. Now let's go into …
The Padres could still grab Harper
The San Diego Padres do not rule out adding Bryce Harper despite the deal with Manny Machado, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred. Heyman announced that the owners of Padres would meet tomorrow to "see if they could spend two for two on the mega stars of this winter". The possibility that the two biggest free agents of this offseason go to San Diego is unlikely, but not entirely out of the question.
Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, are aiming for a higher market than the $ 10 million 10-year contract that the Padres spent with Machado. And while Machado has set the record for a free agent contract at $ 300 million, his figure is even larger: it's the $ 325 million contract signed by Giancarlo Stanton over 13 years. So the question is whether San Diego wants to commit to paying such a sum to two players over the next decade. The report could also be Boras using a trading tactic. We'll have to wait, uh, keep waiting and seeing …
The Phillies have their eyes on Keuchel and Kimbrel
The Phillies of course still have strong drawings on the signature of Bryce Harper, and they are probably the pioneers to land. Regardless of whether or not they are able to sign Harper, General Manager Matt Klentak makes additional plans at the same time …
Keuchel and Kimbrel are of course still free agents on the market. The southpaw Keuchel promises sleeves, lots of balls on the ground and prevention better than average. The Phillies could definitely use that behind Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta in the rotation. As Heyman notes, they are probably less desperate for Kimbrel, but he would certainly make a welcome addition to the Philly pen. His addition would allow David Robertson to return to an installation role.
The Phils this winter have already added Andrew McCutchen and Robertson via the independent agency and Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto via the trade. It is a work of offseason, especially according to the current standards. However, the SportsLine projection model (@SportsLine on Twitter) remains somewhat bearish on the Phils. At present, SportsLine expects 80 wins for the Phillies and gives them a 19.4% chance to play in the playoffs. In other words, they still have work to do, especially regarding the numbers to be a highly competitive NL East. Fortunately for Phils root users, the home office seems to understand that there is still much to be done.
And speaking of Harper and the Phillies …
Regarding the Phillies' leading status with the Bryce Harper derby, here's what Matt Breen from Philly.com has to say:
Scott Boras, Harper's agent, is determined to obtain from his client a larger contract than Machado has obtained. The Phillies are well aware and they will be much more reluctant this time to leave, knowing what will be the perception of the public if they end the off season without the other free agent.
Specifically, Boras is about to get Harper to win the most important contract in MLB history – more than the $ 325 million extension that Giancarlo Stanton signed with them. Marlins a few years ago. As for the Phillies, Breen writes that the team has "accelerated" its negotiations and adds that it's becoming increasingly apparent that the Giants, Phillies' biggest competitor at the hour are not willing to pay these rates.
According to CBS Sports head office analyst Jim Bowden, it seems the Padres, the Nationals and the White Sox are out of the race, at least for the moment. Bowden goes on to say that Harper's agent, Scott Boras, does not have a lot of weight for the moment. If that's the case, Harper's price may go down. On the other hand, if Harper's price seems to fall, then Boras will undoubtedly try to rehire his former contenders to try to revive his market. As with any major signature, the situation is fluid as long as the ink is not on paper.
Twins in talks with Gonzalez
It has been reported that the Twins have been interested in Marwin Gonzalez, a public service agent, for some time now, and Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that things could get more serious:
Several baseball sources confirmed that the Twins had discussed the parameters of a three-year contract with Gonzalez, who was playing for the Houston Astros from 2012 to 18. But the Twins also think they have strong competition to sign with Gonzalez, estimated at 1.6 victory over the replacement by Fangraphs last season.
Gonzalez, who will be 30 in March, has set up a OPS + 103 in 145 games last season. This strong stick combined with its ability to change positions and occupy seven different positions make Gonzalez a very useful addition to any alignment. It is not surprising that the Twins have an interest, just as it is not surprising that the competition is fierce.
Thor does not think about the extension
Right-handed Noah Syndergaard, a Mets flame thrower, qualifies only after the 2021 season, has managed only one qualifying season with injuries and is of course aware of what appears to be a market at the drop for free agents. Given all of this, you may think that he is particularly willing to sign an extension with the Mets and get this guaranteed payday. At the sound of things, however, this is not the case. Here is the quote from Tim Britton via The Athletic:
"I trust my abilities and the talent that I have, so I feel I'm going to bet myself on free competition and not doing what they've done," said Wednesday's Syndergaard. "But if it's just for both sides and they're addressing it, then maybe we'll be able to talk."
"They" would be Aaron Nola of the Phillies and Luis Severino of the Yankees, who have recently signed extensions. Of course, these contracts tend to be user-friendly for the teams. Syndergaard leaves the door open for talks, but he is certainly not inclined to sell his free years in exchange for money that would change lives.
As for the Mets, they are probably more focused at the moment on getting Jacob deGrom Locked.
The Padres will present Machado Friday
The Padres have has officially finalized a $ 300 million, 10-year contract with field player Manny Machado. The Padres announced that they would present Machado at a press conference held on Friday.
Machado's signature will, of course, energize the Padres fan base, which has proven in the past that it would be a winner. The win may not come in 2019, but Machado, associated with the best crop of potential players in the game, means that the future is exceptionally bright for the Padres. Expect a palpable enthusiasm on Friday.
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