With spring training in full swing and the regular season fast approaching, the MLB host stove is heating up. While there are a few trade rumors circulating around the league, most of the news centers around the impending free agency of a few star players. Here are all the latest MLB rumors you need to know from Chat Sports:
Yankees, Phillies favored to sign Bryce Harper in 2018
Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper headlines what will be a loaded free agency class in 2018, and Harper is poised to sign a deal that is expected to be more than $400 million. Many believe the Nationals may not be willing to give Harper that kind of money, and if he does hit the open market, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports writes that the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies would be the two favorites to sign him.
But while his free agency is two years away, I buy the Yankees and Phillies speculation. Yankees people regret just missing out on Trout (they were poised to take him a few spots after the Angels nabbed him with pick No. 25 of the 2009 draft) and dearly miss having marquee players with the Core Four (plus Bernie Williams) long gone, and Alex Rodriguez only a spring instructor. The city buzz around them is dwarfed by that of their less-storied neighbor in Queens, the Mets, and they don't like that one bit.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are a top revenue team with a huge new TV contract, and amazingly only one player signed beyond this year, that being Odubel Herrera, whose price tag was comparatively modest, and also reasonable. The Phillies haven't hidden the fact they could be primed to load up in a couple years, either. "We know the more significant investments are coming," Klentak said. "It's more a matter of when and not if. That'll be dictated by the development of the team. I have no doubt our ownership group will make the necessary commitments."
Harper hit .243 with 24 homers and 86 RBIs last season in 142 games.
Johnny Cueto not worried about future
The San Francisco Giants signed star pitcher Johnny Cueto to a six-year deal as a free agent last offseason, but he has a clause that will allow him to opt-out of the contract after the 2017 season if he so chooses. However, Cueto insists he isn't worried about that, according to Chris Haft of MLB.com.
Cueto insists that he isn't distracted by the opt-out clause in his six-year, $130 million contract that allows him to re-enter free agency after this season if he chooses. Repeating his successful 2016 season with the Giants (18-5, 2.79 ERA) likely would earn him a considerable raise on the open market, but, he said, "To me, this is just a regular year. I signed for five [more] years, and I'm not thinking anything past that. It's just another year for me."
Blue Jays unlikely to sign Angel Pagan
The Toronto Blue Jays have expressed interest in signing current free agent outfielder Angel Pagan, but that is unlikely to happen, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
The Blue Jays have been linked to free agent Angel Pagan in recent days, and there is interest from the ballclub, but a fit between these two sides doesn't seem likely. Toronto is committed to its current group of outfielders who are competing for time, and the organization doesn't want to interrupt that process by offering someone like Pagan a big league deal. Pagan has yet to find the right offer, but he's also not at the stage of his career where he's content to just enter the mix as a depth piece. There has to be more of a guarantee for a possible role, and with Toronto -- at least now -- that's not possible.
Pagan hit .277 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs in 129 games with the Giants last season.
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