Top News:
Bob Brookover / Philly.com:
Hey Philadelphia: Bryce Harper loves you | Extra Innings — As exhausting as the 118-day wait for Bryce Harper was, it all seemed worthwhile at 2:50 p.m. Thursday when word started spreading that the free-agent outfielder was coming to Philadelphia. — Kudos to the fan at Spectrum Field …
Discussion:
Philly.com
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Bill Madden / New York Daily News:
Scott Boras gets the Phillies to cough up the ‘stupid’ money for Bryce Harper ... but pitching in Philly still lacking — CLEARWATER - They will all spin Thursday's long awaited grand finale to the Bryce Harper sweepstakes every which way they can to suit their purposes and save their faces …
Scott Boeck / USA Today:
How the Philadelphia Phillies' lineup could look with the arrival of Bryce Harper — SportsPulse: It finally happened. Bryce Harper has landed in Philly. FTW's Ted Berg explains how Harper instantly makes them title contenders even in a loaded NL East. — CONNECT
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
‘I Want To Be With One Team’: Why Bryce Harper Resisted the Lump Sum to Join the Phillies — The Dodgers offered a payday, but the Phillies offered security. Bryce Harper entered free agency looking to commit to one team's future until his retirement. Philadelphia is where he'll do it.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, The Athletic, NBCSports.com, FanGraphs Baseball, Beyond the Box Score, Deadspin and Bless You Boys
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Baseball notebook: Phillies get Harper for 13 years, $330 million — It took a long time and a lot of money, but the Philadelphia Phillies finally landed Bryce Harper with a record contract. — The young star outfielder and the Phillies agreed Thursday to a $330 million, 13-year contract …
Bill Baer / NBCSports.com:
Ken Williams: “It's a shame if it's being portrayed that we were on the cheap on [pursuing Manny Machado].” — One week ago, infielder Manny Machado and the Padres agreed on a 10-year, $300 million contract. Thus ended months of pursuit from other teams, including the White Sox and Phillies.
Discussion:
South Side Sox, Rotoworld.com and Chicago Sun-Times
Deesha Thosar / New York Daily News:
Mets still talking tough about NL East chances even after Phillies spend big on Bryce Harper — JUPITER, Fla. - In a matter of 43 days, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen went from, “Come get us” to “I believe that we can beat any team any time, and no player signing is going to change that mindset.”
ESPN:
Winners and losers from Harper's $330 million Phillies deal
Discussion:
Forbes, MLB Baseball News … and SFist
Ryan Ford / Detroit Free Press:
Where are they now? The ex-Tigers on the move this offseason — We're a week into actual games at spring training, and baseball's free-agent market is starting to thin out. The Tigers signed Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, Matt Moore and Tyson Ross, but they also let several players walk.
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Ryan Ford / Detroit Free Press:
MLB's best 2019 free agents still available, now that Harper, Machado have signed — Bryce Harper is officially off the market. The former MVP will become a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. — CONNECT — Our long national nightmare is over, and Bryce Harper is finally a Philadelphia Phillie.
Discussion:
Sporting News and NESN.com
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals notebook: Hicks ‘feels strong’ and shows it — JUPITER, Fla. • When Jordan Hicks was asked what areas he needed to improve on the most from his rookie season to his sophomore year, he answered, “I want to get my walks down and maybe my strikeouts up.”
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Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Five New York Yankees to watch during exhibition games this weekend — Yankees' Luis Severino talks about pitching in a two-inning simulated game at spring training — TAMPA, Fla. - Less than four weeks away from opening day, here's a Yankees' take-five for this weekend:
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Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Remember the '90s? The 2019 Yankees seem to
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and New Jersey Online
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Harper's $330 million deal won't sting Rangers. But did Arenado's extension leave a mark? — By the time the Los Angeles Angels scored their first runs Thursday afternoon, the Texas Rangers had already scored nine times at Tempe Diablo Stadium. — Six of those came in the sixth inning …
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Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Here's how Mike Trout added to Drew Smyly's ‘huge step forward’ with Rangers
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes and Halos Heaven
John Fay / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds blow a 4-run lead, fall 10-8 to Milwaukee Brewers — GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The Reds blew a four-run lead and lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 10-8 before a crowd of 2,516 at Goodyear Ball Park. An error by Alfred Rodriguez led to four unearned runs in the seventh. — Injury report
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Bill Plunkett / Orange County Register:
Clayton Kershaw's latest throwing session went ‘pretty well’ ... for 5 minutes — GLENDALE, Ariz. — The most important five minutes of the Dodgers' workout Thursday went “pretty well.” — That was Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman's assessment after left-hander …
Discussion:
DodgerBlue.com
Mike Puma / New York Post:
Jason Vargas would've understood if Mets added a starter … JUPITER, Fla. — Bring on the reinforcements. — Jason Vargas is the probable weakest link in the Mets rotation, but the veteran left-hander said Thursday he would have completely understood if team officials saw the necessity …
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Kevin Acee / The Charlotte Observer:
Padres' Hosmer carries new swing, same smile into second year in San Diego — Eric Hosmer was on the field Wednesday, playing in a spring training game for the first time this year. — “Man, that felt good,” he said afterward, breaking into a smile that is real and wide and white.
Jon Couture / Boston Globe:
Bryce Harper just broke the MLB contract record ... sort of — It isn't wrong to say that 2015's “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the highest domestic-grossing film in history at $936 million. It is. It's also not wrong to point out that, adjusted for ticket-price inflation, 1939's …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Column: Are Cubs fans as annoying as White Sox's Nicky Delmonico says? — Photos of the White Sox at spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., before the 2019 season. — Chicago Tribune — We don't know whether Nicky Delmonico will make the trip to Sloan Park on Sunday …
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Kansas City Royals tweet former Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton's diving catch — It's a sight very familiar to Cincinnati Reds fans, but Kansas City Royals fans are just starting to appreciate watching Billy Hamilton play center field. — Hamilton made a diving catch during …
