Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Manny Machado gets formal offer from White Sox; talks heat up with Bryce Harper — Maybe, just maybe, Bryce Harper won't get a dime more than the contract he turned down three-and-a-half months ago from the Washington Nationals. — Perhaps that $300 million won't be deposited into Manny Machado's bank account, either.
RELATED:
Wallace Matthews / New York Daily News:
Zach Britton is now the Yankees' focus with David Robertson gone and Adam Ottavino all but out of contention — Thursday was a great day for David Robertson. The 33-year-old reliever scored himself a two-year, $23 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
Dissecting the Craig Kimbrel market — A year ago the Red Sox perfectly read the J.D. Martinez market and ended up with a world championship for their efforts. — Are they primed for another success story this time around? For a second straight offseason, the Sox are seemingly mastering the art of the waiting game.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Sign David Robertson — 1:00pm: The Phillies have announced the signing. Because they had two open spots on the 40-man roster, a corresponding move was not necessary. — 12:29pm: The Phillies have agreed to a two-year, $23MM contract with free-agent reliever David Robertson, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter).
Discussion:
The Good Phight, MLB Daily Dish and Lone Star Ball
Barry Petchesky / Deadspin:
It's Time For Some Bryce Harper Game Theory — When last we left the Bryce Harper Derby ... absolutely nothing was happening, or so we were led to believe. The 26-year-old superstar outfield has been taking his time, sitting on (as far as we know) a single formal offer, $300 million over 10 years, from the Washington Nationals.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, MLB Baseball News …, NESN.com and Cubs Insider
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs and White Sox seasons storylines for 2019, from the Cactus League openers to the World Series
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Chelsea Janes / Washington Post:
Rumors swirl but Bryce Harper's market remains far blurrier than Manny Machado's
Discussion:
New York Post, Federal Baseball, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider and Phillies Nation
Jim Salisbury / NBCSports.com:
Source: Phillies plan to meet with Bryce Harper even as they await Manny Machado's decision
Jeff PassanESPN / ESPN:
Passan: Why the baseball world is waiting on Manny and Bryce
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors, 670 The Score, NBCSports.com, Bleacher Nation, Tomahawk Take, MLB Daily Dish, NESN.com, The Good Phight, South Side Sox, BoSox Injection, FenwayNation, Halos Heaven, Deadspin, DodgerBlue.com, Bleacher Report, Sportsnet.ca, Cubs Insider, Phillies Nation and Talking Chop
Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
Tulo's determination to stay at short; making sense of the Mariners' plan; the Marlins need to act; more notes — Troy Tulowitzki has bet on himself as a shortstop before — did it in the 2005 draft, in fact. — More than 13 years later, Tulowitzki is taking a different kind of gamble …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball, New York Post, MLB Trade Rumors and Let's Go Tribe
RELATED:
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Old bosses rave about Yankees picking up ‘elite’ Tulowitzki — John Gibbons did not get to manage Troy Tulowitzki last year and yet the now-former Blue Jay skipper declared the Yankees took a great gamble for next season. — Dan O'Dowd was the GM for the first nine years of Tulowitzki's career …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, River Avenue Blues, Sportsnet.ca and Newsday
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Do Cubs have enough to keep up in baseball's toughest division? — CHICAGO — Search “Cubs” in any social media platform these days, and you're not going to find the same vibe that existed after the 2016 World Series. A team coming off a disappointing finish — combined with a quiet winter so far …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Sam McDowell / Kansas City Star:
The Royals turned to college pitchers in the draft. Here's the plan for them in 2019 — Dayton Moore sat inside a Las Vegas suite last month and conversed about the topic consuming the bulk of his time these days — the long-term future of the Royals. He expanded upon his reluctance …
Matthew Florjancic / WKYC-TV:
Report: Indians focused on ‘cheap roster fillers’ more than blockbuster deals — One rival executive believes the Cleveland Indians are focused on “cheap roster fillers” more than blockbuster deals involving starting pitchers Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. — CLEVELAND — The Cleveland …
Chris McCosky / Detroit News:
The forgotten prospect? RHP Bryan Garcia ready to reclaim spot in Tigers' plans — Detroit - It's almost like he's the forgotten prospect. — Before he had to have Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow on Feb. 16 last year, Bryan Garcia was on the verge of breaking into the big leagues …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Ryan Fagan / Sporting News:
Baseball Hall of Fame 2019: SN's Ryan Fagan explains his ballot — Voting for the Hall of Fame is an honor and a privilege. Filling out my ballot, and writing the companion column explaining my thought process, is one of my favorite parts of the year. It's a bit stressful and exhausting …
Discussion:
WEEI
