Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Philadelphia Phillies emerge as clear-cut favorite to land Bryce Harper after meeting — LOS ANGELES - The Philadelphia Phillies, and not the Washington Nationals, have emerged as the clear-cut favorite to sign free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper after meeting with him for five hours Saturday in Las Vegas …
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Jeff PassanESPN / ESPN:
Manny Machado has offer from White Sox for 8-year contract — As the sweepstakes for baseball's best free agents heat up, Manny Machado is sitting on an eight-year offer from the Chicago White Sox and still engaged with the Philadelphia Phillies while their pursuit of Bryce Harper grew stronger …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Column: White Sox's long shot pursuit of Manny Machado could be paying off — Photos of Manny Machado, one of the top free agents this season. — Chicago Tribune — As unlikely as it seemed entering the offseason, the White Sox could wind up one of the biggest winners of free agency.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Matt Breen / Philly.com:
Phillies' meeting with Bryce Harper might not end in an immediate deal, but optimism builds about free agency prospects — It took roughly 10 weeks, but the Phillies finally found themselves on Saturday face-to-face with Bryce Harper. — The Phillies — led by owner John Middleton …
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
How Bryce Harper and Manny Machado measure up among baseball's best — The largest total-value contract in MLB is Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million extension that he signed with the Miami Marlins in 2015, now carried by the New York Yankees. — You know Scott Boras would love to break that record.
Andy Schwartz / Baltimore Sun:
Report: Phillies may favor Bryce Harper over Manny Machado
Discussion:
6abc.com
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Yankees betting Miguel Andujar's work ethic will help fix defense
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and NESN.com
Mark Fischer / New York Daily News:
Bryce Harper, Manny Machado sweepstakes nearing end with Yanks nowhere to be found
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and MLB Trade Rumors
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs add former major-league pitcher Craig Breslow to front office — Chicago Tribune — The Cubs will put Craig Breslow's 12 years as a major-league pitcher and his degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry to good use. — Breslow, 38, was hired Monday to become the team's director …
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Why next 30 days will be busiest of MLB offseason — Roger Bannister had the benefit of peer pressure when he became the first human to run a mile in less than four minutes. Two other runners, Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher, chopped up the track as pacesetters for him, running laps to push Bannister …
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers deal with Nicholas Castellanos paves way for eventual trade — Who will start for the Detroit Tigers in 2019 after their offseason acquisitions — Heading toward Friday's deadline for teams and players to exchange salary arbitration figures, one case stood out as the Detroit Tigers' most complicated.
Discussion:
MLive.com and Bless You Boys
John Perrotto / Forbes:
MLB's Five Most Interesting Salary Arbitration Cases — Mookie Betts and Jacob deGrom hit the jackpot through Major League Baseball's salary arbitration process Friday. However, some other players will have wait a little longer to see what their financial reward with be.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Shildt: Cardinals have at least five No. 1 starting pitchers — One area the Cardinals have not really addressed this offseason is their starting pitching but, as Mike Shildt prepares for his first full season as manager, he is more than satisfied with what he has in his top five, plus the five or so behind them.
Anthony Fenech / USA Today:
Ex-Tigers analyst Rod Allen: Fight with partner Mario Impemba more like ‘baseball brawl’ — Former Fox Sports Detroit analyst and Detroit Tigers announcer Rod Allen spoke with Free Press business columnist Carol Cain on the “Michigan Matters” program on Sunday morning on WWJ-TV.
Gilbert Manzano / Orange County Register:
Chargers blown out of NFL playoffs by Tom Brady and New England Patriots — FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Desmond King held his hands out with his lower body in a wide stance, as the Chargers' punt returner waited for the ball to arrive. — It went through his hands and bounced off his left thigh.
Discussion:
Daily Breeze, Whittier Daily News and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
5 hot topics heading into this weekend's Cubs Convention — Photos of the Cubs' annual fan fest through the years. — Chicago Tribune — Spring training starts in less than a month, and the anticipation will swell leading up to this weekend's Cubs Convention.
Kevin Acee / sandiegouniontribune.com:
Moving Myers again means Padres loaded in outfield, lacking at third — Wil Myers confirmed on Saturday that he is once again an outfielder. — “What we think is best for the team is for me to go back to the outfield,” said Myers, who began his career as an outfielder …
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, Cubs Insider, Redleg Nation and MLB Trade Rumors
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