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.

Aroldis Chapman throwing free and easy is a good sign for Yankees  —  TAMPA — The bullpen looked dominating on paper this winter when GM Brian Cashman put it together.  The Yankees brought back Zack Britton, the lefty with the heavy sinker, and Adam Ottavino with the “frisbee” …

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.”

Column: Are Cubs fans as annoying as White Sox's Nicky Delmonico says?  —  Chicago Tribune  —  We don't know whether Nicky Delmonico will make the trip to Sloan Park on Sunday for the first Cactus League meeting between the White Sox and Cubs.  —  But if Delmonico does, he's bracing for some harsh treatment from Cubs fans.

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.

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 …

Robots or the human element of real umpires?  A few Rangers weigh in on the debate  —  Robots are coming to take all of our jobs, or so we're told, but the threat is getting a little more real for MLB umpires.  —  Baseball announced a three-year agreement with the independent Atlantic League …

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 …

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 …

Diamondbacks leaned on rivals in Ketel Marte transition  —  Ketel Marte's shift from second base to center field mirrors that of the Seattle Mariners' Dee Gordon last year.  The Diamondbacks dug around with the Mariners before deciding how to proceed with Marte.

Cubs spring training updates: Ian Happ leading off and playing second base against the Diamondbacks  —  Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks discusses Bryce Harper's move to the Phillies and his curveball on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune

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 …

Mets Agree To Terms With Carlos Gomez  —  The Mets have reportedly struck a deal with free agent outfielder Carlos Gomez.  The @BigDaveRants account first tweeted the news, which has been confirmed since by several reports.  It's said to be a minor-league pact, pending a physical.

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 …